# Walter Fane — The Painted Veil character guide > Walter Fane in The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Fane, Walter, poor Walter, Dr. Fane **First appearance:** 0003-i ## Snapshot A shy, exacting bacteriologist who loves Kitty with a still, unshowy devotion she cannot reciprocate, and whose silences conceal more than she guesses. ## Who they are Walter meets Kitty at London dances, courts her without flourish, and marries her before returning to his post in the East. He is reserved, intelligent, and morally severe, a man whose reticence Kitty reads as dullness until events reveal its weight. His decision to take her into a cholera-stricken city turns the marriage into a crucible, and his character becomes the measure against which Kitty must reckon her own. ## Relationships ### [Kitty Fane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/kitty_fane) _romantic_ A strained marriage marked by Kitty's initial contempt and Walter's quiet, obsessive love, ending in tragedy and partial redemption. ### [Charles Townsend](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/charles_townsend) _rivalry_ Antagonistic rivals, with Walter despising Townsend for the affair and Townsend viewing Walter with condescending contempt. ### [Mother Superior](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/mother_superior) _professional_ A respectful professional relationship based on mutual admiration for their work during the cholera epidemic. ### [Waddington](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/waddington) _friendship_ A collegial friendship built on shared work in the epidemic, with Waddington sympathizing with Walter's pain. ### [Doris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/doris) _family_ A distant brother-in-law relationship, with Doris viewing Walter as a respectable but unremarkable man. ### [Dorothy Townsend](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/dorothy_townsend) _social_ A polite, superficial social acquaintance in colonial Hong Kong. ### [Kitty Fane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/kitty_fane) _romantic_ A strained marriage marked by Kitty's initial contempt and Walter's quiet, obsessive love, ending in tragedy and partial redemption. ### [Kitty Fane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/kitty_fane) _romantic_ A strained marriage marked by Kitty's initial contempt and Walter's quiet, obsessive love, ending in tragedy and partial redemption. ### [Charles Townsend](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/charles_townsend) _rivalry_ Antagonistic rivals, with Walter despising Townsend for the affair and Townsend viewing Walter with condescending contempt. ### [Mother Superior](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/mother_superior) _professional_ A respectful professional relationship based on mutual admiration for their work during the cholera epidemic. ### [Waddington](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/waddington) _friendship_ A collegial friendship built on shared work in the epidemic, with Waddington sympathizing with Walter's pain. ### [Charles Townsend](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/charles_townsend) _rivalry_ Antagonistic rivals, with Walter despising Townsend for the affair and Townsend viewing Walter with condescending contempt. ## In the story ### [The Painted Veil](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/the-painted-veil) Kitty's husband, a quiet and intelligent bacteriologist who discovers her infidelity and issues a harsh ultimatum. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/i) Mentioned as the suspected person trying the door, but not present. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/iv) Attempts to soothe Kitty's frustration about their social position, acknowledging the lack of prestige for scientists. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/v) Walter brought the book himself and tried the locked door and windows, suggesting he may suspect the affair. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/ix) Walter is introduced as a quiet, shy man who attends dances but dances poorly, and he reveals his name to Kitty after several meetings. ### [X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/x) Walter is described as a bacteriologist stationed in Hong Kong, reserved and impersonal in his interactions with Kitty. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xi) Walter proposes to Kitty in a nervous, abrupt manner, revealing his intense but awkward love. He is pale and agitated, and his proposal is marked by a strange tragic quality. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xii) Walter is described as considerate yet self-conscious, unable to lose himself in social situations, and prone to baby talk after intimacy. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xiii) Walter is described as charmless, reserved, secretive, and deeply in love with Kitty. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xiv) Walter accompanies Kitty to the dinner, gives a measured assessment of Townsend's character and bridge skills, and is contrasted unfavorably by Kitty in terms of dress and demeanor. ### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xv) Walter is seen through Kitty's eyes as a figure of amusement and pity, unaware of her affair. ### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xvi) Mentioned only as the husband Kitty wishes she were not married to. ### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xvii) Walter is absent but central to Kitty's thoughts; she anticipates his return and possible confrontation. ### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xviii) Returns home deathly pale, speaks in a toneless voice, avoids meeting Kitty's eyes, and sits in menacing stillness. ### [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xx) Mentioned as having discovered the affair; his silent, polite demeanor and refusal to kiss Kitty goodnight signal his knowledge and hurt. ### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxi) Appears deathly pale and grim, avoids looking at Kitty, and his eyes show mortal sadness. ### [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxii) Walter calmly announces his intention to go to the cholera epidemic in Mei-tan-fu and insists Kitty accompany him, showing a cold, mocking demeanor that suggests a desire for revenge or self-destruction. ### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxiii) Reveals his deep, unrequited love and his knowledge of Kitty's affair; he offers a conditional divorce that he knows Townsend will not fulfill, and gives her an ultimatum to go to Mei-tan-fu. ### [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxv) Walter is mentioned as the wronged husband, but does not appear in the chapter. Kitty reflects on his love and her failure to ask for his forgiveness. ### [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxvi) Though absent, Walter's calculated ultimatum and understanding of Townsend's character drive the chapter's revelations. ### [Chapter XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxvii) Walter is home, gives instructions to a servant, and responds with cold indifference to Kitty's decision, angered by her flippancy. ### [XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxviii) Follows Kitty in the procession; lies awake at night in the inns, aware of her distress. ### [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxix) Reads incessantly, makes only polite conversation, and shows a look of physical distaste toward Kitty, leading her to question his sanity. ### [XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxi) Directs the coolies and joins Kitty and Waddington for drinks and dinner. ### [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxii) Hosts the dinner; watches Waddington with cold, ironic amusement; shows civil interest in topics he knows nothing about. ### [XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxiv) Distant and rarely speaking, he answers Kitty's questions about the plague with a chilling nonchalance. ### [XXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxvi) Mentioned as having always held Charlie in contempt. ### [XXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxvii) Returns early to dinner, grimly participates in eating the salad, and remains taciturn after Waddington's warning. ### [XXXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxviii) Walter is discussed by Waddington, who describes his heroic efforts against the cholera epidemic and his enigmatic behavior toward Kitty. Walter is not physically present in the chapter. ### [XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xxxix) Waddington suggests that the nuns have unbounded admiration for Walter. ### [XLIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xliv) Praised by the nuns for his thoughtfulness, tenderness, and competence; Kitty begins to recognize his merit. ### [XLV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xlv) Mentioned through Sister St. Joseph's observation of his gentle, playful tenderness with babies, surprising Kitty. ### [XLVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xlvi) Walter remains cold and polite, rejecting Kitty's overtures and admitting he despises himself. ### [XLVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xlvii) Sits reading, silent and grim; reveals he despises himself for loving Kitty. ### [XLVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/xlviii) Referenced as having left for work early; Kitty has spoken to him about her wish to help at the convent. ### [L](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/l) Praised by Sister St. Joseph and the Mother Superior as wonderful, good, brave, and clever. ### [LIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/liii) Noted as being busy as usual on Sundays, unable to join the outing. ### [LIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/liv) Mentioned as cool, polite, silent, and inscrutable; Kitty wonders about his future plans. ### [LVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lvi) Walter confronts Kitty about her pregnancy, showing his characteristic self-control and emotional restraint, but his trembling hand and gaunt appearance betray his inner turmoil and physical exhaustion. ### [LVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lvii) Returns late, suggests Kitty leave for her safety; admits he initially wanted her to die; shows weariness and sensitivity; struggles with wounded vanity and the failure of their marriage. ### [LIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lix) Walter is mentioned by the Mother Superior as being delighted by Kitty's pregnancy and as a saintly figure. Kitty reflects on his need for forgiveness and his inner turmoil. ### [LXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxi) Walter does not return for dinner; Kitty thinks about his admirable qualities and hopes to reconcile with him. ### [LXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxii) Has fallen ill with cholera; Kitty is rushing to his side. ### [LXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxiii) Dies of cholera; his last words are 'The dog it was that died,' refusing Kitty's plea for reconciliation. ### [LXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxv) Buried in a Chinese coffin after his death from cholera. ### [LXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxvi) Recently deceased; Kitty reflects on his appearance after death and suggests he died of a broken heart, possibly from experimenting on himself. ### [LXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxix) Walter's grave is visited by Kitty and Waddington; his death is a central point of reflection for Kitty. ### [LXX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxx) Walter's death is the central event of the chapter, prompting Kitty's reflections. ### [LXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/lxxvii) Walter is deceased, but his presence looms over Kitty's thoughts and the packing of his belongings. Kitty insists the child is his, contrasting with Townsend's claims. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters/walter_fane - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_painted_veil_se/characters