The Painted Veil · Chapter
LI explained
Sister St.
What happens
Sister St. Joseph shares gossip about Waddington's Manchu princess and elaborates on the Mother Superior's noble background and the convent's founding, while Kitty reflects on her reverence for the Mother Superior.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
In this excerpt, Kitty reaches an emotional and psychological peak by confronting her own shame and humility i…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Sacrifice and Service
The Mother Superior and nuns sacrifice their former lives of grandeur to serve the poor and unwanted in Mei-tan-fu.
- East vs. West
Waddington's relationship with a Manchu princess and the cultural clash between French nuns and Chinese society highlight East-West tensions.
Characters to notice
- Kitty Fane
Listens to Sister St. Joseph's stories and feels reverence for the Mother Superior.
- Sister St. Joseph
Chatters about the Mother Superior's family and Waddington's Manchu princess.
- Mother Superior
Dominates the convent with her personality; of noble French lineage; planned and supervised the convent's construction.
- Waddington
Said to live with a Manchu princess; known for his humor and poor French; donated money to the convent.
Key passages
“She has the most beautiful hands that I have ever seen”
Kitty admires the Mother Superior's hands.
Kitty's observation leads Sister St. Joseph to describe the Mother Superior's hard work.
“He lives with a Chinese woman, that is to say, not a Chinese woman, but a Manchu. A princess, it appears, and she loves him to distraction.”
Sister St. Joseph reveals that Waddington lives with a Manchu princess who is deeply in love with him.
Gossip about Waddington's unconventional domestic arrangement.
