Dangerous Liaisons, Letter 16 summary
Letter 16 of 177 · 3 min to read the letter
In Letter 16, Cécile Volanges tells Sophie Carnay that Chevalier Danceny hides a letter in her harp, which she repeatedly reads and kisses with delight. She wants to answer but fears acting improperly, so she considers asking Mme de Merteuil for advice before deciding.
What happens
- Cécile notices Danceny’s sadness during their musical meetings and feels distressed when he looks at her.
- After singing, Danceny puts away her harp and urges her to play it when she is alone.
- Cécile discovers his letter among the strings, reads it repeatedly, and kisses it.
- She asks Sophie whether she should reply, torn between comforting Danceny and obeying rules of proper conduct.
- She postpones answering and hopes to find the courage to consult Mme de Merteuil that evening.
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In this letter
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Where does Cécile discover Danceny’s letter?
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