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Chapter companions for The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham.

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  1. Chapter 1

    Epigraph

    The epigraph presents a single line from Percy Bysshe Shelley's sonnet, introducing the central metaphor of the painted veil that obscures the true nature of life.

  2. Chapter 2

    The Painted Veil

    Kitty Fane, a young woman from a socially ambitious family, marries the reserved bacteriologist Walter Fane to escape her mother's pressure and to avoid being outshone by her younger sister. She soon enters a passionate affair with the charming but married Charles Townsend, believing he will leave his wife for her. When Walter discovers the betrayal, he confronts Kitty and gives her an ultimatum: accompany him to a cholera-stricken Chinese village or face a scandalous divorce. Kitty turns to Townsend for help, but he cruelly refuses, revealing his selfishness. Forced to confront her illusions, Kitty reluctantly agrees to go to Mei-tan-fu with Walter, beginning her journey of moral awakening.

  3. Chapter 3

    I

    Kitty Fane and her lover, Charles Townsend, are startled by someone trying the door of her bedroom during an afternoon tryst. They fear it is her husband, Walter, but after a tense wait, they find no one there. Townsend reassures Kitty and leaves.

  4. Chapter 4

    II

    Kitty and Charlie Townsend wait anxiously after suspecting someone may have seen them together. Charlie reassures Kitty that even if it was Walter, he would likely ignore the affair to avoid scandal. They share a passionate moment before Charlie leaves, promising to protect her if trouble arises.

  5. Chapter 5

    III

    Kitty reflects on her affair with Charles Townsend, recalling their secret meetings in a sordid curio dealer's shop in Hong Kong. She contrasts her lover's charm with his wife Dorothy's cold, proper demeanor, feeling both contempt and insecurity about her own social standing.

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  1. Chapter 6IV
  2. Chapter 7V
  3. Chapter 8VI
  4. Chapter 9VII
  5. Chapter 10VIII
  6. Chapter 11IX
  7. Chapter 12X
  8. Chapter 13XI
  9. Chapter 14XII
  10. Chapter 15XIII
  11. Chapter 16XIV
  12. Chapter 17XV
  13. Chapter 18XVI
  14. Chapter 19XVII
  15. Chapter 20XVIII
  16. Chapter 21XIX
  17. Chapter 22XX
  18. Chapter 23XXI
  19. Chapter 24XXII
  20. Chapter 25XXIII
  21. Chapter 26XXIV
  22. Chapter 27XXV
  23. Chapter 28XXVI
  24. Chapter 29Chapter XXVII
  25. Chapter 30XXVIII
  26. Chapter 31XXIX
  27. Chapter 32Arrival at Mei-tan-fu
  28. Chapter 33XXXI
  29. Chapter 34XXXII
  30. Chapter 35XXXIII
  31. Chapter 36XXXIV
  32. Chapter 37XXXV
  33. Chapter 38XXXVI
  34. Chapter 39XXXVII
  35. Chapter 40XXXVIII
  36. Chapter 41XXXIX
  37. Chapter 42XL
  38. Chapter 43XLI
  39. Chapter 44XLII
  40. Chapter 45XLIII
  41. Chapter 46XLIV
  42. Chapter 47XLV
  43. Chapter 48XLVI
  44. Chapter 49XLVII
  45. Chapter 50XLVIII
  46. Chapter 51XLIX
  47. Chapter 52L
  48. Chapter 53LI
  49. Chapter 54LII
  50. Chapter 55LIII
  51. Chapter 56LIV
  52. Chapter 57LV
  53. Chapter 58LVI
  54. Chapter 59LVII
  55. Chapter 60LVIII
  56. Chapter 61LIX
  57. Chapter 62LX
  58. Chapter 63LXI
  59. Chapter 64LXII
  60. Chapter 65LXIII
  61. Chapter 66LXIV
  62. Chapter 67LXV
  63. Chapter 68LXVI
  64. Chapter 69LXVII
  65. Chapter 70LXVIII
  66. Chapter 71LXIX
  67. Chapter 72LXX
  68. Chapter 73LXXI
  69. Chapter 74LXXII
  70. Chapter 75LXXIII
  71. Chapter 76LXXIV
  72. Chapter 77LXXV
  73. Chapter 78LXXVI
  74. Chapter 79LXXVII
  75. Chapter 80LXXVIII
  76. Chapter 81LXXIX
  77. Chapter 82LXXX
  78. Chapter 83Endnotes