Dangerous Liaisons · Chapter
Letter 69: Cecilia Volanges to the Chevalier Danceny explained
Cecilia writes a desperate, tearful letter to Danceny using a pencil on the back of his letter, as her mother has confiscated her writing materials.
What happens
Cecilia writes a desperate, tearful letter to Danceny using a pencil on the back of his letter, as her mother has confiscated her writing materials. She expresses her love, her sorrow at their separation, and her confusion about who betrayed them. She mentions that she will try to love Valmont because Danceny considers him a friend, and reveals that they are leaving for the country the next day, uncertain of when she will see Danceny again.
Themes in this chapter
Innocence and Experience
Cecilia's naive trust in Valmont and her emotional turmoil highlight her innocence as she is thrust into the complexities of adult manipulation and secrecy.
Epistolary Form and Unreliable Truth
The letter's secretive, pencil-written nature and its emotional rawness underscore the epistolary form's role in conveying subjective, potentially unreliable truths.
Characters to notice
- Cecilia Volanges
Writes a tearful, secret letter to Danceny using a pencil, expressing her love and despair at being separated and betrayed.
- Chevalier Danceny
The recipient of Cecilia's letter; she addresses him with love and defends his actions.
- Viscount de Valmont
Mentioned by Cecilia as someone she did not previously like but will now try to love because Danceny considers him a friend.
- Madame de Volanges
Cecilia's mother, who has confiscated her writing materials and stopped speaking to her, and is taking her to the country.
Key passages
“You desire to know how I spend my time? I love you, and am always crying.”
You ask what I do all day—I spend it loving you and weeping.
Cecilia's opening lines convey her emotional state and devotion.
“I now make use of a pencil, which I fortunately had in my pocket, and I write this on the back of your letter.”
I'm using a pencil I happened to have, writing on the back of your letter.
Highlights the secretive and makeshift nature of her communication.
“I did not use to love Mr. de Valmont; I did not think him to be so much your friend; I will endeavour to accustom myself to him, and I will love him on your account.”
I didn't like Valmont before, but since you consider him a friend, I'll try to get used to him and love him for your sake.
Shows Cecilia's willingness to trust Danceny's judgment despite her own instincts.
“I cannot tell who betrayed us; it must be either my waiting-maid or my confessor.”
I don't know who revealed our secret—it was either my maid or my confessor.
Cecilia speculates on the source of the betrayal, reflecting her naivety.
“Those letters, wrote with a pencil, will, perhaps, rub out; but the sentiments engraved on my heart never will.”
These pencil-written letters may fade, but the feelings etched in my heart never will.
A poignant metaphor for the permanence of her love despite the fragility of the medium.