Dangerous Liaisons · Chapter
Letter 95: Cecilia Volanges to the Viscount de Valmont explained
Cecilia writes to Valmont, agreeing to exchange the key as he requested.
What happens
Cecilia writes to Valmont, agreeing to exchange the key as he requested. She denies loving Danceny and asks Valmont to reassure Danceny in his letters. She proposes a plan to swap keys and requests that Valmont use the key to retrieve her letters for Danceny. She apologizes for her earlier fear and asks for his continued friendship.
Themes in this chapter
Seduction and Manipulation
Valmont manipulates Cecilia into exchanging keys, facilitating his control over her correspondence with Danceny.
Innocence and Experience
Cecilia's naive compliance and fear of discovery highlight her innocence being exploited by Valmont's experienced manipulation.
Characters to notice
- Cecilia Volanges
Writes to Valmont, agreeing to the key exchange and denying her love for Danceny.
- Viscount de Valmont
Recipient of Cecilia's letter; she asks him to return the key and to reassure Danceny.
- Chevalier Danceny
Mentioned as the one Cecilia supposedly does not love; she asks Valmont to write to him.
- Madame de Volanges
Cecilia fears her mother discovering the key exchange.
Key passages
“Sir, I beg you will return me the key you gave me to put in the place of the other; since it must be so, I must agree to it.”
Cecilia asks Valmont to give back the key he provided to replace the original, reluctantly accepting the situation.
Cecilia's reluctant compliance with Valmont's plan.
“I don't know why you should write to Mr. Danceny, I did not love him: I don't think I ever gave you any reason to say so; it has given us both a great deal of uneasiness”
Cecilia denies loving Danceny and claims Valmont's statements caused distress for both of them.
Cecilia's denial of her feelings, possibly under Valmont's influence.
“If you contrive to give it me tomorrow as we go to dinner, I would give you the other key the day after at breakfast, and you could return it to me in the same way you did the first.”
Cecilia proposes a specific plan to exchange keys during meals to avoid detection.
The secretive method of exchanging keys highlights the need for concealment.