# XXXI explained — The Painted Veil

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

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

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