Final answer:
Expostulating means to express disapproval or disagreement, and the person is likely debating a point related to the preceding text.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word expostulating in sentence 31, according to the context, means to express strong disapproval or disagreement. The person expostulating is most likely engaging in a passionate discussion or argument, trying to convince someone of their viewpoint or reasoning against a particular action or decision. Without the exact sentence, we can assume that the person is expostulating about whatever issue or situation that has been presented prior to sentence 31 in the text.