Dangerous Liaisons

03 September: Valmont writes to Tourvel. He asks her how she could possibly forbid him the one outlet his has for his love and desire for her. What she asks is not only unjust but also severe. He portrays himself as a victim of youth and naïveté to explain his past affairs, not one of whom he ever loved. Meeting her changed everything in him.

03 September: Valmont writes to Merteuil. He has been with Danceny but could not convince him to divulge greater details about him and Cécile. They are going to Versailles the next day, and he will interrogate him more then.

04 September: Merteuil writes to Valmont. She arranged a rendezvous for him and Cécile by getting Madame de Volanges to go out, which she did not want to do because she felt ill. When they returned, Merteuil was happy to find that Cécile had given up on the breakup, but she was also maddened because Danceny had not taken advantage of her change of heart.

04 September: Cécile writes to Sophie. Love is true happiness, everything before—the fun and laughter they both had in the convent—was just child’s play. She loves Merteuil differently than she does Sophie: It is more like the love she has for Danceny. Sometimes she wishes she were he. She is afraid to marry the Comte de Gercourt.

05 September: Tourvel writes to Valmont. There is no point in talking about the feelings he has for her, since they cannot be reciprocated. She is happy. Her happiness is serenity and peace. His happiness is tumultuous passions. She begs him not to write her anymore and chides him for continuing to speak of love when she has asked him not to. She tells him this will be her last letter.

05 September: Valmont writes to Merteuil. Danceny gave his reasons for being so shy with Cécile: He believes a young woman must be handled gently; he fears her wealth and does not want to force a situation that will dishonor her. Valmont views Danceny as very inexperienced regarding love.

07 September: Valmont writes to Tourvel. He asks her how he can write to her and not mention his love. He asks her how she can be so cruel as to deny him the last pleasure he has left in writing to her. Why does she fear him, when he has always done as she wishes and will always do so? He has mended his ways and loves only her. She needs to trust him, because all her fears exist solely in her imagination.

08 September: Valmont writes to Merteuil. He is upset with Danceny and does not understand the situation. He asks her to let him know what he should do before he meets with Danceny later. He has been invited by a certain Comtesse to come and visit, which he would like to do if Merteuil has no further use for him.

08 September, enclosed in the previous letter: Danceny writes to Valmont. Everything is lost. He is desperate and needs Valmont’s advice. He asks when he can come by.

07 September: Cécile writes to Sophie. All is lost. Her mother discovered Danceny’s papers. She suspects her chambermaid informed her. Her mother will not allow Danceny to ever come back to the house, and if he tries, she has threatened to send her back to the convent. She feels like she is going to die.

07 September: Volanges writes to Danceny. She condemns him for having taken advantage of her and her daughter. She tells him he is never allowed to return to the house or see Cécile again. If he tries, she will send Cécile back to the convent. She has enclosed his letters and asks for Cécile’s in return. 

09 September: Merteuil writes to Valmont. She told Madame de Volanges that she suspected a “dangerous liaison” (130) developing between the two. It was necessary to instill fear and despair so that Danceny would bemoan his lost opportunities and work harder in getting Cécile: “In any case it is good to accustom someone to major calamities if they are destined for life’s great adventures” (131). She consoles Cécile “by one distraction or another” (133). She informs Valmont that, through her influence, she has convinced Madame de Volanges to take her daughter into the country, to his aunt’s house. He now has a pretext to return.

09 September: Danceny writes to Madame de Volanges. He apologizes for causing distress and dishonor but does not apologize for his feelings. He defends them as nothing but honorable. He asks that he be allowed to return, but not for his sake. He argues that if he is kept away, that in itself will scandalize Cécile and harm her reputation. He asks to keep Cécile’s letters and promises that their contents will never be divulged.

09 September: Danceny writes to Cécile. He wonders who could have betrayed them. He tells her that Valmont will be their mediator and to trust him. He hopes to see her again soon. He has enclosed her letters and his reply to her mother. He hopes she will approve of his words and actions.

09 September: Valmont writes to Merteuil. Valmont talks about the developing plan and applauds Merteuil for her genius. He imagines he can get the two together fairly quickly and relatively easily. However, if things go very wrong, then he has a backup plan that involves himself taking Cécile and using her letters to Danceny against her, her mother, and even Danceny to produce enough of a scandal.

09 September: Tourvel writes to Valmont. She feels she should not respond to his last letter, but she is doing everything to help him. She offers him her friendship, but he must never speak of love ever again or all will be destroyed. She awaits his reply.

10 September: Valmont writes to Tourvel. He thanks he for her offer of friendship and then explains to her that, if he were the same man today as he was then, he would accept her offer of friendship so as to get closer to her and continue to attempt to seduce her. His love for her is not something he will give up, even if it means he will never see or hear from her again.

10 September: Cécile writes to Danceny. She is unhappy. She misses him and her mother refuses to speak to her. She has taken away all her writing materials. She is forced to write in pencil and on a piece of his letter. The only person who could have betrayed them is either her chambermaid or confessor. She will try and trust Valmont.

11 September: Valmont writes to Merteuil. Valmont tells Merteuil about a dinner party he attended where she came up as a topic of discussion. A man named Prévan spoke chidingly of her virtue. He and two women made a wager that he would sleep with her (Merteuil). Valmont asks Merteuil to do something to ridicule him. He will pay her back by bringing the affair to a successful end between Danceny and Cécile. He also tells her about Tourvel’s letter and his persistence with her. He will force her to admit she wants him.