The Painted Veil · Chapter
LXVIII explained
A week after Walter's death, the Mother Superior tells Kitty she must leave Mei-tan-fu and return to her mother.
What happens
A week after Walter's death, the Mother Superior tells Kitty she must leave Mei-tan-fu and return to her mother. Despite Kitty's desire to stay, the Superior insists it is her duty to care for her unborn child. Kitty bids farewell to Sister St. Joseph and the Mother Superior, who gives her a parcel to mail in Marseilles and offers a final blessing about the unity of love and duty.
Themes in this chapter
Sacrifice and Service
The Mother Superior speaks of exchanging a trivial life for one of sacrifice and prayer, and Kitty reflects on her own lack of such exalted virtues.
Self-Deception and Truth
Kitty admits to herself that she wants to stay not out of altruism but because she has nowhere else to go, confronting her own loneliness.
Moral Awakening and Redemption
The Mother Superior's final words about love and duty being one suggest a path toward moral clarity and inner peace for Kitty.
Characters to notice
- Kitty Fane
Kitty is reluctant to leave the convent, feeling she has nowhere else to go, and reflects on her loneliness and lack of purpose.
- Mother Superior
The Mother Superior firmly but kindly insists Kitty must leave for her own good, and later gives her a parcel and a blessing.
- Sister St. Joseph
Sister St. Joseph says goodbye to Kitty with affectionate but impersonal words, focused on her eternal perspective.
- Waddington
Waddington is mentioned as having arranged Kitty's escort and travel plans with Colonel Yü.
- Colonel Yü
Colonel Yü is mentioned as providing a strong escort for Kitty's journey.
Key passages
“I want to stay because I had nowhere else to go. It was a curious sensation this, that nobody in the world cared two straws whether she was alive or dead.”
Kitty realizes her desire to remain at the convent stems from her utter isolation and the feeling that no one cares about her.
Kitty's honest self-assessment reveals her deep loneliness and lack of belonging.
“Remember that it is nothing to do your duty, that is demanded of you and is no more meritorious than to wash your hands when they are dirty; the only thing that counts is the love of duty; when love and duty are one, then grace is in you and you will enjoy a happiness which passes all understanding.”
The Mother Superior tells Kitty that merely performing duty is not virtuous; true grace comes when one loves what duty requires.
This blessing encapsulates a key moral lesson for Kitty's journey.