The Painted Veil
Protagonist who marries Walter out of social pressure and engages in an affair with Townsend, only to be disillusioned when Townsend abandons her.
I
Terrified during the encounter, she clings to Townsend and eventually recovers her composure.
II
Anxious about being discovered, but still passionately in love with Charlie; expresses hatred for Walter.
III
Kitty watches Townsend leave, daydreams about their affair, and compares herself to Dorothy Townsend.
IV
Feels socially diminished as the wife of a bacteriologist in Hong Kong, contrasting with her family's status in England.
V
Kitty is anxious after realizing Walter may have discovered her affair, but she reassures herself with thoughts of Charlie's love and considers denying or confessing.
VI
Reflects on her marriage mistake and her mother's role.
VII
Mentioned indirectly as one of the daughters who feels contempt for her father when money becomes less plentiful.
VIII
Kitty is a beautiful young woman who has failed to secure a suitable marriage after several seasons, leading her to panic and marry Walter Fane.
IX
Kitty recalls her initial indifference to Walter and her amusement at his shyness, showing her superficial view of him at this stage.
X
Kitty evaluates Walter Fane's character and her own prospects, feeling anxious after Doris's engagement.
XI
Kitty is walking home from Harrod's when she meets Walter. She is surprised by his proposal and considers the social and practical benefits of marrying him, despite not being in love with him.
XII
Kitty reflects on her marriage, feeling disconcerted by Walter's formality and emotional nature.
XIII
Kitty reflects on Walter's character and her own feelings of indifference and contempt.
XIV
Kitty attends a dinner party at the Townsends' and is immediately taken by Charles Townsend's charm and appearance, feeling a sense of ease and admiration.
XV
Kitty reminisces about falling in love with Charlie and her evolving feelings toward Walter.
XVI
Renewed beauty and happiness from her affair; she idolizes Charlie and wishes she were married to him.
XVII
Kitty daydreams about a future with Charlie, rehearses her defense, and grows angry at Walter.
XVIII
Terrified and trembling, she senses Walter knows about her affair and dreads his confrontation.
XIX
Kitty anxiously telephones Townsend, insisting on an immediate meeting despite his reluctance.
XX
Anxious and seeking reassurance from Charlie after Walter's suspicious behavior; she feels love and triumph but also a faint contempt for Walter.
XXI
Observes Walter's behavior and reflects on Charlie's words, feeling a mix of contempt, pity, and shock.
XXII
Kitty is shocked and terrified by Walter's plan to go to Mei-tan-fu and his demand that she join him. She pleads and cries, but ultimately feels trapped.
XXIII
Confronted by Walter, she initially feigns innocence but eventually admits the affair, declaring her love for Townsend and her contempt for Walter.
XXIV
Visits Charlie at his office, hoping for his support and love, but becomes disillusioned by his self-serving response.
XXV
Kitty is heartbroken and desperate as she realizes Townsend does not love her as she thought. She struggles with anger, shame, and despair.
XXVI
Desperate and fearful, Kitty pleads with Townsend for support, then gains a painful clarity about his true nature and Walter's motives.
Chapter XXVII
Kitty, wretched and humiliated, tells Walter she will go with him to Mei-tan-fu and makes a bitter joke about packing a shroud.
XXVIII
Travels in a chair, consumed by grief and self-pity over Charlie's rejection; feels her life is over at twenty-seven.
XXIX
Reflects on Walter's motives and her own love for Charlie, observing Walter's cold demeanor and feeling increasingly uncertain about his intentions.
Arrival at Mei-tan-fu
Kitty observes the ominous landscape and feels a sense of menace and terror as she arrives at Mei-tan-fu.
XXXI
Arrives at the bungalow, tired and nervous, meets Waddington for the first time.
XXXII
Dines with Walter and Waddington; feels flush when Townsend is mentioned, and later filled with awe and a sense of isolation.
XXXIII
Kitty is the dreamer and observer, experiencing emotional turmoil and a profound aesthetic awakening.
XXXIV
Alone and frightened, she wrestles with panic and fantasies of escape, but feels trapped by her situation and the memory of Charlie's rejection.
XXXV
Initiates conversation about Townsend, feigns casual interest while hiding her emotional turmoil.
XXXVI
Reflects on Waddington's words and her feelings for Charlie, struggling between hatred and love.
XXXVII
Finds companionship in Waddington and engages in a reckless act of defiance by eating salad, risking cholera.
XXXVIII
Kitty is deeply shaken by the sight of the dead beggar and struggles with her emotions. She deflects Waddington's probing questions about her marriage with lighthearted remarks, but her fear and unhappiness are evident.
XXXIX
Kitty listens to Waddington's description of the convent and agrees to visit.
XL
Kitty is carried through the water-gate and observes the desolate, stench-filled streets; she is surprised by Sister St. Joseph's merriment.
XLI
Kitty meets the Mother Superior and feels like an awkward schoolgirl in her presence.
XLII
Visits the convent and observes the conditions during the cholera epidemic.
XLIII
Visits the convent chapel, sees the babies, and is emotionally overwhelmed by the Mother Superior's words about Walter.
XLIV
Reflects on her visit to the convent and her feelings about Walter and Charles.
XLV
Reflects on her encounter with the nuns, feeling humbled and ashamed, and ultimately alone.
XLVI
Kitty confesses her affair and seeks friendship with Walter, offering to work at the convent.
XLVII
Reflects on Walter's words and her own feelings of mortification and impatience.
XLVIII
Kitty insists on helping at the convent despite the risks, showing her growing determination and desire for purpose.
XLIX
Finds refreshment in convent work, overcomes distaste for the children, struggles with her reaction to the idiot child.
L
Attends chapel, chats with Sister St. Joseph, learns Chinese words, reflects on the contrast between convent peace and cholera.
LI
Listens to Sister St. Joseph's stories and feels reverence for the Mother Superior.
LII
Experiences personal growth, regains her spirits, and realizes she is cured of her love for Charles Townsend. She feels free and liberated.
LIII
Takes a day off from convent work to visit a Buddhist monastery with Waddington; reflects on the decay of faith and the beauty of the countryside.
LIV
Reflects on life's transience, feels detached from the nuns, and expresses a newfound courage and longing for the unknown.
LV
Kitty faints and vomits at the convent, fearing cholera, but learns she is pregnant.
LVI
Kitty struggles with the revelation of her pregnancy and the moral decision to tell Walter the truth about the child's paternity, feeling a mix of fear, pity, and a strange new sense of honesty.
LVII
Sits at the window, composed after weeping; refuses to leave Mei-tan-fu; feels pity for Walter and indifference toward Townsend; reflects on her pregnancy and the absurdity of marital fidelity.
LVIII
Visits Waddington's Manchu mistress; reflects on her search for meaning and the contrast between East and West.
LIX
Kitty is pregnant and continues her work at the convent, feeling unwell but maintaining her spirit. She is touched by the nuns' interest and reflects on her desire for Walter's forgiveness.
LX
Kitty is deeply impressed by the Mother Superior and reflects on her character and spirituality.
LXI
Kitty reflects on her past affair, her feelings about the nuns, and her uncertain future, including the possibility of dying in childbirth.
LXII
Awakened in the night, she dresses hastily and travels with Waddington to see her ill husband, feeling anguish and fear.
LXIII
Desperately seeks Walter's forgiveness at his deathbed, but is left bewildered by his cryptic final words.
LXIV
Returns to the bungalow at dawn after Walter's death, refuses to rest, and sits at the window seeking comfort in the temple view.
LXV
Grieves at Walter's funeral, feels a dreadful pang at the sound of earth on the coffin, and lingers at the graveside.
LXVI
Reflects on Walter's death, the nuns' sacrifices, and the meaning of life; questions the immortality of the soul and the line 'the dog it was that died.'
LXVII
Returns to the convent after Walter's death, hiding her true emotions from the Mother Superior.
LXVIII
Kitty is reluctant to leave the convent, feeling she has nowhere else to go, and reflects on her loneliness and lack of purpose.
LXIX
Kitty reflects on her journey and the surreal nature of her experiences in Mei-tan-fu, feeling detached from the tragedy.
LXX
Kitty grapples with her lack of sorrow over Walter's death and feels a liberating sense of freedom.
LXXI
Returns to Hong Kong in black, not mourning; feels touched but impatient with Dorothy's effusive praise.
LXXII
Staying with the Townsends, she confronts Charlie with sardonic satisfaction and reflects on her past.
LXXIII
Observes Charlie with a critical eye, noting his falseness yet struggling with his lingering charm.
LXXIV
Settles into the Townsends' home, feeling weary and enjoying the comfort and attention after her strain.
LXXV
Kitty confronts Charlie with cool insolence, expresses her hatred and contempt, but ultimately succumbs to his embrace, torn between grief and desire.
LXXVI
Overcome with shame and self-hatred after her encounter with Townsend, she weeps bitterly and feels she has not changed.
LXXVII
Kitty is determined to flee Hong Kong, feeling degraded and disgusted by her affair with Townsend. She secures a ship passage and packs her belongings, rejecting Townsend's advances and insisting her child is Walter's.
LXXVIII
Kitty reflects on her humiliation and self-disgust after yielding to Charlie, and contemplates her future.
LXXIX
Returns home after her mother's death; reflects on her mother's influence and her own inability to grieve.
LXXX
Kitty returns to her father's house, emotionally changed by her suffering, and seeks his love and a new beginning.
