Dangerous Liaisons, Letter 131 summary

What happens

1. Merteuil argues that pleasure alone cannot sustain a bond and that love on one side permits deception on the other.
2. She compares herself and Valmont to two cheats who recognize that neither can profit from the other.
3. She preserves the promised evening together but reminds Valmont that he owes her the devout woman's first letter.
4. She asks to postpone their meeting until her return to town, partly to avoid provoking Belleroche's jealousy.
5. She recalls happiness in their former love, rejects its renewal, and abruptly ends her letter.

In this letter

What to notice

The question presents their shared knowledge of deception as an obstacle to renewed intimacy. Neither can easily sustain the illusion she considers necessary.

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