The Painted Veil · Chapter
LXXII explained
Kitty stays with the Townsends in Hong Kong and faces Charlie Townsend again.
What happens
Kitty stays with the Townsends in Hong Kong and faces Charlie Townsend again. She observes his discomfort and her own contempt for him, while reflecting on the contrast between their luxurious life and the suffering she witnessed in Mei-tan-fu.
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
- Self-Deception and Truth
Kitty sees through Charlie's insincere sympathy and her own past illusions, recognizing the truth of his vanity and her contempt.
- Class and Social Status
The contrast between the Townsends' luxurious home and the missionary bungalow highlights the social and material divide.
Characters to notice
- Kitty Fane
Staying with the Townsends, she confronts Charlie with sardonic satisfaction and reflects on her past.
- Charles Townsend
Greets Kitty with forced cordiality, masking his mortification over their last interview.
- Dorothy Townsend
Arranges Kitty's stay and mediates the encounter with Charlie.
Key passages
“She hoped that she had hurt him as much as he had hurt her. He must hate her now. She was glad to think that she did not hate, but only despised him.”
Kitty wished her presence caused Charlie as much pain as he had caused her, and she took satisfaction in feeling contempt rather than hatred.
Kitty's emotional stance toward Charlie after their affair and his betrayal.
“She remembered with a faint shudder the bare and empty parlour of the missionary’s bungalow; the rattan chairs and the kitchen-table with its cotton cloth, the stained shelves with all those cheap editions of novels, and the little skimpy red curtains that had such a dusty look.”
Kitty recalled the stark simplicity of the missionary bungalow in Mei-tan-fu, contrasting it with the Townsends' comfortable home.
Reflection on the material and emotional distance between her past and present.
