XXXV explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Madness and Vanity

  Mr. Stott's drunken bravado and exaggerated claims about his family's hard-drinking, fighting past highlight themes of vanity and irrational behavior.

• Loyalty and Betrayal

  Mr. Stott's rescue of Tab Holland from the fire demonstrates loyalty, while Eline's dismissal hints at betrayal of trust.

Characters to notice

• Eline Simpson

  Suffers from a toothache, groans loudly, and is given whiskey by Mr. Stott, leading to her singing and being fired.

• Mr. Stott

  Frustrated by Eline's groans, he drinks whiskey, discovers a fire at Mayfield, and rescues Tab Holland from the burning building.

• Tab Holland

  Handcuffed in the burning Mayfield, he is rescued by Mr. Stott and later freed by a policeman.

• Mrs. Stott

  Awakened by the commotion, she is shocked by her husband's appearance and Eline's singing.

• Inspector Carver

  Arrives after the fire, expressing gratitude to Mr. Stott for the rescue.

Key passages

• “Eline was an irregular groaner. 'Eline goes tomorrow!' he roared, and even Mrs. Stott heard him.”

  Eline groaned unpredictably, prompting Mr. Stott to shout that she would be sent away the next day, loud enough for his wife to hear.

  Highlights Mr. Stott's frustration with Eline's toothache groans.

• “He was an abstemious man and in truth had never tasted whiskey in its undiluted state. Bravado had made him do it, but now that it was done, he had no regrets.”

  Mr. Stott, usually moderate, drank neat whiskey out of bravado and felt no regret afterward.

  Shows Mr. Stott's uncharacteristic behavior under the influence of whiskey.

• “Mr. Stott made a wild rush up the stairs, striking more wildly at the floor. The smoke blinded him; he was scorched, he felt his few locks shrivel in the heat.”

  Mr. Stott charged up the stairs, hitting the floor with his spade, while smoke and heat burned him and singed his hair.

  Describes Mr. Stott's heroic but perilous rescue attempt during the fire.