# LI explained — The Painted Veil

> Chapter companion for The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham.

## 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.

## Themes 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters/li
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_painted_veil_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_painted_veil_se/chapters