The Painted Veil · Chapter
XXXI explained
Kitty arrives at the bungalow in Mei-tan-fu and meets Waddington, the Deputy Commissioner, who invites himself to dinner.
What happens
Kitty arrives at the bungalow in Mei-tan-fu and meets Waddington, the Deputy Commissioner, who invites himself to dinner. He discusses the cholera epidemic, the danger of looting, and the nuns' refusal to leave. Walter and Kitty settle into their new, sparsely furnished home.
Themes in this chapter
Suffering and Growth
Kitty's arrival in the cholera-stricken Mei-tan-fu marks the beginning of her exposure to suffering, which will later catalyze her personal growth.
Characters to notice
- Kitty Fane
Arrives at the bungalow, tired and nervous, meets Waddington for the first time.
- Walter Fane
Directs the coolies and joins Kitty and Waddington for drinks and dinner.
- Waddington
Deputy Commissioner who introduces himself, invites himself to dinner, and discusses the cholera situation.
Key passages
“I’ve just been breaking it to your missus that I’m dining with you. Since Watson died I haven’t had anybody much to talk to but the nuns, and I can never do myself justice in French.”
Waddington tells Walter he has invited himself to dinner because he has had no one to talk to since Watson died, and he struggles to converse with the nuns in French.
Highlights Waddington's isolation and the limited social circle in Mei-tan-fu.
“They’re dying like flies. The magistrate’s lost his head and Colonel Yü, the officer commanding the troops, is having a devil of a job to prevent them from looting. If something doesn’t happen soon we shall all be murdered in our beds.”
Waddington describes the dire situation: people are dying rapidly, the local authorities are ineffective, and looting is a serious threat.
Establishes the dangerous and chaotic environment of the cholera epidemic.