The Painted Veil Quotes

Kitty Fane: [about Wan Xi] I had no idea you had so much affection for her.

Waddington: What makes you think I do?

Kitty Fane: I can see it in your eyes. I wonder what she sees in you.

Waddington: [In Chinese] What do you see in me?

Wan Xi: [to Waddington] You're a good man.

Waddington: She says I'm a good man.

Kitty Fane: As if a women has ever loved a man for his virtue.

Walter Fane: I knew when I married you that you were selfish and spoiled. But I loved you. I knew you only married me to get as far away from your mother as possible. And I hoped that one day... there'd be something more. I was wrong. You don't have it in you.

Kitty Fane: If a man hasn't what's necessary to make a woman love him then it's *his* fault not hers.

Walter Fane: Either way. Tomorrow morning we are to leave for Mei-tan-fu, or I shall file my petition.

Kitty Fane: Walter, you can't be serious about taking me into the middle of a cholera epidemic.

Walter Fane: Do you think that I'm not?

Kitty Fane: My God. That's what you want isn't it? Do you really think Charlie will let you do this?

Walter Fane: I don't think Charlie has very much to say about it.

Kitty Fane: Everything you said is true. Everything. I married you even though I didn't love you. But you knew that. Aren't you as much to blame for what's happened as I?

Charlie Townsend: Women are always under the impression that men love them more that they really do.

Kitty Fane: I wouldn't delude myself for a second that you were in love with me.

Charlie Townsend: Now there you're wrong.

Kitty Fane: For God's sake, Walter, will you stop punishing me? Do you absolutely despise me?

Walter Fane: No. I despise myself.

Kitty Fane: Why?

Walter Fane: For allowing myself to love you once.

[Walter turns away and Kitty leaves the room and closes the door. As he approaches the door she can be heard sobbing in the other room]

Kitty Fane: It's raining cats and dogs.

Kitty Fane: I said it's raining cats and dogs.

Walter Fane: Yes, I heard you.

Kitty Fane: You might have answered.

Walter Fane: I suppose I'm not used to speaking unless I've something to say.

Kitty Fane: If people only spoke when they had something to say, the human race would soon lose the power of speech.

Kitty Fane: Walter, stop. I'm pregnant.

Walter Fane: A baby?

[while Walter begins to look elated, Kitty looks terrified]

Walter Fane: You're quite certain?

Kitty Fane: Yes.

Walter Fane: Well, that's wonderful.

[he sees the scared look on Kitty's face and the he remembers; Kitty's affair with Charlie Townsend]

Walter Fane: How long do you think you've been like this?

Kitty Fane: Two months. Maybe longer.

Walter Fane: [his expression becomes solemn] Kitty. Am I the father?

Kitty Fane: [crying softly] I honestly don't know. I'm sorry.

Walter Fane: Well... It doesn't matter now, does it?

Kitty Fane: No. No, it doesn't.

[Kitty throughs her arms around Walter and embraces him. He in turn hugs her back]

Kitty Fane: I was wondering if you could tell me when the post comes through. It's for Shanghai.

Waddington: Unfortunately, since the cholera the cowards won't venture past the river port. But leave it with me. A local trader I know is making the trip on Friday.

Kitty Fane: [hands Waddington the letter]

Waddington: [reading the envelope] Townsend. Charlie Townsend?

Kitty Fane: Yes. He's an acquaintance of my husband. Do you know him?

[Kitty takes the letter back and looks worried]

Waddington: Years ago. We were both assigned to the consulate in Shanghai. Charming wife.

Kitty Fane: Yes. They're very popular, aren't they?

Waddington: He'd made a science of popularity.

Kitty Fane: So you know his family?

Waddington: Well, well enough. I like Dorothy.

Kitty Fane: [laughs] Yes, I understand they're quite the devoted couple.

Waddington: Oh, he had his little flirtations.

Kitty Fane: Nothing serious.

Waddington: I once heard her say that she found it most unflattering that the women who fell for her husband were so consistently second-rate.

Kitty Fane: [looks mortified for a moment, then laughs] Well, enjoy the record.

Waddington: Mrs. Fane? The letter.

Kitty Fane: Right. Yes, it suddenly occured to me that Friday's much too late. Thanks all the same.

Walter Fane: I'd like to press on, if you don't mind.

Kitty Fane: Surely my comforts are no concern to you.

Walter Fane: Do you like flowers?

Kitty Fane: Not particularly, no. Well, I mean yes, but we don't really have them around the house. Mother says, "Why purchase something you can grow for free?" Then, we don't really grow them either. It does silly really. To put all that effort into something that's just going to die.

[Kitty serves herself a helping of the uncooked vegetables from the local cholera-infected crop]

Walter Fane: Are you looking to kill yourself?

[Kitty eats the vegetables with a contemptous smirk. Walter then serves himself and eats his in the same manner]

[opening lines]

Walter Fane: Hello.

Kitty Garstin: Hello.

Walter Fane: Say, I was wondering...

Kitty Garstin: What?

Walter Fane: Sorry. I - I was wondering if you'd like to dance.

Kitty Garstin: Why not?

[Walter and Kitty are out at the Chinese Opera with Charlie and Dorothy Townsend]

Charlie Townsend: Are you enjoying it?

Kitty Fane: I've never seen anything like it.

Charlie Townsend: Every gesture has a meaning. See how she covers her face with the cloth? She is mourning her misfortune.

Kitty Fane: What happened to her?

Charlie Townsend: She was sold into slavery. Condemned to a life of drudgery and despair in a strange land far from home. See the chains? They represent the heavy bondage of her poor, trapped soul from which there is no escape, and so she weeps. She weeps for the lively, vivacious girl she once was, the lonely woman she has become... and most of all... she weeps for the love she'll never feel, for the love she'll never give.

Kitty Fane: Is that really what she's saying?

Charlie Townsend: Actually I haven't a clue what she's on about. I don't speak Chinese.

[Charlie and Kitty laugh]

[Waddington walks in to the Fanes' new house]

Waddington: You must be the doctor's wife. I've just met your husband and invited myself to dinner. I've kept the Watsons' cook for you - she's not bad. She'll have to do for your amah as well. We're a little short-handed here.

[Remembering he hasn't introduced himself yet]

Waddington: Sorry, my name is Waddington.

Kitty Fane: By the way, you might be happy to know that I am just as useless to the nuns as I am to you.

Walter Fane: I shut off the town's only water supply today.

Kitty Fane: What will you do?

Walter Fane: I have no idea.

Kitty Fane: Hmm. Then I suppose we're both useless. At last, something in common.

Colonel Yu: I think China belongs to Chinese people, but the rest of the world seems to disagree.

Walter Fane: Yes, but that's got nothing to do with me. I didn't come here with a gun, you know. I came here with a microscope.

Colonel Yu: [about warlord] He said no.

Walter Fane: He doesn't speak any English, does he?

Colonel Yu: [shrug]

Walter Fane: Tell him that's the most ridiculous suit that I've ever seen.

Colonel Yu: This Doctor respects you greatly, and you are right. It is quite a mess, this epidemic. But my superior said if your men cannot control it, then our army will be happy to come out here and help you.

[standing to leave]

Colonel Yu: After seeing this place, it's so overwhelming, I'm afraid once our soldiers are here, they won't want to leave.

Kitty Fane: [contemplating roses in a flower shop] Silly, really. They'll die in a week - it's hardly worth the cost

[to Walter Junior]

Kitty Fane: What do you think?

Walter Junior: I think they're quite nice.

Kitty Fane: Really?

[Walter Junior smiles, as does Kitty]

Kitty Fane: I think you're right.

Mother Superior: So tell me, Mrs. Fane, to which faith do you subscribe?

Kitty Fane: [surprised, clearing her throat] Excuse me. We attended services -- not religiously, regularly... You could say I'm a member of the Church of England.

Mother Superior: Which is an inoffensive way of saying

[pause]

Mother Superior: you don't quite believe in anything much.