Dangerous Liaisons · Chapter
Letter 38: The Marchioness de Merteuil to Viscount Valmont explained
Merteuil writes to Valmont, acknowledging receipt of his long letter but quickly moving on to discuss her current amusement: manipulating the young Cecilia Volanges.
What happens
Merteuil writes to Valmont, acknowledging receipt of his long letter but quickly moving on to discuss her current amusement: manipulating the young Cecilia Volanges. She describes Cecilia's naive charm, natural duplicity, and eagerness for instruction, and reveals her plan to facilitate Cecilia's affair with Danceny while simultaneously ensuring that Cecilia will hate her future husband, Gercourt. Merteuil urges Valmont to hasten his seduction of Tourvel so that he can help her manage Danceny and secure her revenge on Gercourt.
Themes in this chapter
Seduction and Manipulation
Merteuil openly describes her manipulation of Cecilia, using false severity and staged encounters to control the young girl's actions and feelings.
Hypocrisy and Appearance vs. Reality
Merteuil presents herself as a model of virtue and severity to Cecilia, while secretly orchestrating the affair and planning revenge, highlighting the gap between appearance and reality.
Characters to notice
- Marchioness de Merteuil
Writes to Valmont, detailing her manipulation of Cecilia Volanges and her plans for revenge against Gercourt.
- Viscount de Valmont
Recipient of Merteuil's letter; she urges him to hasten his seduction of Tourvel and to help manage Danceny.
- Cecilia Volanges
Described by Merteuil as naive, naturally duplicitous, and amusing; Merteuil is manipulating her affair with Danceny and her hatred for Gercourt.
- Chevalier Danceny
Cecilia's love interest; Merteuil considers him a fool for not having kissed Cecilia yet and plans to use Valmont to gain his confidence.
- Count Gercourt
Cecilia's intended husband; Merteuil is determined to ensure he does not escape her revenge and is painting him in a negative light to Cecilia.
Key passages
“Having no other amusement, I divert myself with the little Volanges, who shall be the subject of this epistle.”
With nothing else to entertain me, I am amusing myself by manipulating young Cecilia Volanges.
Merteuil treats Cecilia as a source of entertainment, revealing her callous and manipulative nature.
“I gave her leave to write and say, I love ; and the same day, without her having any suspicion, I contrived a tête-à-tête for her with her Danceny.”
I allowed her to write that she is in love, and then secretly arranged a private meeting with Danceny.
Merteuil actively facilitates the affair while maintaining the appearance of innocence.
“I spoke to the little thing yesterday about him, and painted him in such colours, that she could not hate him more were she married to him for ten years.”
I described Gercourt to Cecilia in such negative terms that she already hates him as much as if she had been married to him for a decade.
Merteuil deliberately fosters hatred for Gercourt to further her revenge plot.