The Painted Veil

I am currently reading this and as a great admirer of the film adaptation, I was more than a little curious as to how the courtship (or lack thereof) of Kitty and Walter would be described. I have not been disappointed by the detailed descriptions of their acquaintance and so far, I am quite impressed by the strong characterisation of Kitty and in particular Walter Fane. By the time he addressed her affair with Mr. Townsend I felt quite sorry for the poor man - the way he expressed his having to dumb himself down so she would not be bored with him.

I'll quote the speech so you know what I mean:

"I had no illusions about you," he said. "I knew you were silly and frivolous and empty-headed. But I loved you. I knew that your aims and ideals were vulgar. But I loved you. I knew that you were second-rate. But I loved you. It's comic when I think how hard I tried to be amused by the things that amused you and how anxious I was to hide from you that I wasn't ignorant and vulgar and scandal-mongering and stupid. I knew how frightened you were of intelligence and I did everything I could to make you think me as big a fool as the rest of the men you knew. I knew that you'd only married me for convenience. I loved you so much, I didn't care. Most people, as far as I can see, when they're in love with some one and the love isn't returned feel that they have a grievance. They grow angry and bitter. I wasn't like that. I never expected you to love me, I didn't see any reason that you should, I never thought myself very lovable. I was thankful to be allowed to love you and I was enraptured when every now and then I thought you were pleased with me or when I noticed in your eyes a gleam of good-natured affection. I tried not to bore you with my love, I knew I couldn't afford to do that and I was always on the lookout for the first sign that you were impatient with my affection. What most husbands expect as a right I was prepared to receive as a favour."

He struck me as a most sensitive and intelligent character and it angered me that Kitty should treat him with such contempt! She surely did not deserve him and I wish that Walter had divorced her and found himself a woman more worthy of his attentions. Nevertheless, I will continue reading to see how the story unfolds. I have already read that the film deviates from the novel so I won't expect a sudden burst of affection from her side.