# XXXI explained — Memoirs of a Midget > Chapter companion for Memoirs of a Midget by Walter de la Mare. ## What happens The narrator and Mrs. Bowater return to Beechwood, where the narrator discovers a locked money box and a few violets left by her stranger. That night, Fanny Bowater appears at the window and they have a tense conversation in the porch about money, guilt, and the haunting presence of Mr. Crimble. Fanny reveals that she encountered Mr. Anon at the house, mistaking him for a thief, and the chapter ends with unresolved tension and a darkly comic revelation. ## Themes in this chapter ### Deception and Self-Deception The narrator and Fanny both grapple with self-deception about their motives and feelings, particularly regarding Mr. Crimble and the money. ### Solitude and Self-Discovery The narrator's solitary return to Beechwood and her night-time vigil lead to a painful reassessment of her life and relationships. ### Love and Obsession Fanny's obsessive guilt over Mr. Crimble and the narrator's conflicted love for Fanny are central to the chapter's emotional turmoil. ## Character check-ins ### Unknown (Narrator) Returns to Beechwood with Mrs. Bowater, discovers violets and a locked money box, and later meets Fanny in the garden at night. ### Mrs. Bowater Returns home with the narrator, is short-tempered due to travel difficulties, and leaves to call for Henry. ### Fanny Bowater Visits the narrator at night, desperate for money, and recounts her encounter with Mr. Anon at the house. ### Mr. Anon Mentioned as having visited the house, left violets, and been confronted by Fanny, who mistook him for a thief. ### Mr. Crimble Referenced in the conversation between Fanny and the narrator as a haunting presence and source of guilt. ## Key lines > No place like home there mayn't be, miss, but— Mrs. Bowater suggests that home is not as welcoming as it should be. _Reflects the gloomy atmosphere upon their return._ > I think I'll be calling round for Henry. Mrs. Bowater decides to go fetch Henry. _Indicates her impatience and the need for assistance._ > What had my existence been but a blind futility, my thought for others but a mask of egotism and selfishness? The narrator questions whether her life has been meaningless and her care for others merely selfish. _Shows her deep self-doubt and existential crisis._ > I can't and won't see things but with my reason. My reason, I tell you. What else is a schoolma'am for? Fanny insists on relying solely on logic, dismissing emotion. _Highlights Fanny's defensive rationalism._ > If even he hadn't been so solemn, so insignificant! Fanny laments that Mr. Crimble's unremarkable appearance makes his haunting presence worse. _Reveals her contempt and frustration._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_a_midget_se/chapters/xxxi - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_a_midget_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_a_midget_se/chapters