Viscount de Valmont _to the_ Marchioness de Merteuil.
There is then no woman that does not abuse the empire she has gained;
and you, whom I have so often called my indulgent friend, are no
longer so, you are not afraid to attack me even in the very object of
my affections. What a picture have you drawn of Madame de Tourvel!
What man would not have forfeited his life by so daring an act of
insolence? And what woman but you would not, at least, have determined
me to blast her reputation? For heaven’s sake! never put me to such
rude trials again. I will not be answerable for the consequence. In
the name of friendship, have patience till I have this woman, if you
must slander her. Don’t you know, that the time for its causing any
impression on me will be after I have enjoyed her? But where do I
wander? Does Madame de Tourvel, in order to inspire a passion, need any
deception? No; to be adorable, ’tis enough she is herself. You find
fault with her dress: you are right; all ornaments are prejudicial
to her; every thing that hides her lovely form is hurtful. It is in
unaffected negligence she is truly ravishing. Thanks to the suffocating
heat of the season, a deshabille of plain lawn adorns her charming,
easy shape. A thin muslin handkerchief covers her bosom; and my
stolen, but penetrating glances, have already seized its enchanting
form. You say her figure has no expression. What should it express,
when nothing speaks to her heart? No, indubitably, she has not, like
our coquettes, those false looks, which sometimes seduce, but ever
deceive. She knows not how to fill up a void of phrase by an affected
smile; and though she has the finest teeth in the world, she only
laughs at what pleases her. But she is particularly admirable in the
most trifling amusements, where she gives the picture of the frankest
and most natural gaiety. In visiting a wretched being that she hastens
to relieve, her looks declare the unsullied joy and compassionate
bounty of her heart. At the most trifling expression of praise or
flattery, the tender embarrassment of unaffected modesty is suffused
over her celestial figure. She is a prude and devotee, and thence you
conclude, she is cold and inanimate. I think quite otherwise. What
astonishing sensibility must she not have, to diffuse it as far as her
husband, and to love a being always absent! What stronger proof can you
require? I found out a method, however, to obtain another; I directed
our walk in such a manner that we had a ditch to leap over, and
although very active, she is still more timid—you may very well judge
a prude dreads taking a leap. She was obliged to trust herself to me.
I raised this modest woman in my arms. Our preparations, and the skip
of my old aunt, made our sprightly devotee laugh most immoderately:
but as soon as I seized on her, by a dexterous awkwardness, our arms
were mutually entwined in each other; I pressed her bosom against mine,
and in this short interval I felt her heart palpitate more quickly; a
lovely blush covered her face, and her modest embarrassment informed me
her heart beat with love and not with fear. My aunt was deceived as you
had been, and said, “The child is frightened;” but the charming candour
of this child would not permit her to countenance a lie, and she
ingenuously answered, “Oh, no; but—” That word alone has cleared up my
doubts. From this instant, sweet hope has banished cruel inquietude.
I will have this woman. I will take her from a husband who does not
deserve her. I’ll even snatch her from the god she adores.
How delicious to be by turns the object and conqueror of her remorse!
Far be from me the idea of curing her of her prejudices! they will add
to my glory and happiness. Let her rely on her virtue, and sacrifice
it. Let her crime terrify her, without being able to resist its
impulse; and, alarmed with a thousand terrors, let her neither be able
to forget or conquer them but in my embraces.
Then I’ll consent to her saying, “I adore thee.” She, of all your sex,
will be the only one worthy to pronounce that word. Then shall I truly
be the god of her idolatry. Confess ingenuously to me, that in our
arrangements, as indifferent as they are free, what we style happiness
scarce deserves the name of pleasure. I’ll freely acknowledge,
I imagined my heart withered, and incapable only of sensual
gratification; I began to deplore my prematurely advanced age; Madame
de Tourvel has restored me to the illusive charms of youth. With her,
actual enjoyment is not necessary to my happiness. The only thing that
alarms me is the time this adventure will take up; for I am resolved to
risk nothing. In vain do I bring to remembrance my successful acts of
temerity on many occasions; I can’t think of attempting them now. To
crown my bliss, she must give herself up, and that’s not an easy matter
to accomplish.
I am confident even you must approve my discretion, for as yet I have
not mentioned the word love; but we are already got as far as those
of friendship and confidence. In order to deceive her as little as
possible, and, above all, to guard against any thing that may come to
her knowledge which might shock her, I have myself related to her,
by way of self-accusation, some of my most remarkable adventures.
You would be delighted to see how innocently she catechises me. She
says she is determined to make a convert of me: but has not the least
suspicion how much the purchase will cost her. She does not think, that
her becoming advocate, to use her own words, _for the many I have
undone_, she is beforehand pleading her own cause.
This idea struck me yesterday, in the midst of one of her little
sermons, and I could not resist the pleasure of interrupting her, to
tell her that she spoke like a prophet. Adieu, my lovely friend! you
see I am not totally lost.
P. S. But what’s become of our poor Chevalier? Has he destroyed himself
in a fit of despair? Indeed you are a million of times worse than I;
and if I was vain, you’d mortify me to be so much outdone.
_From the Castle of_ ——,
_Aug._ 9, 17—.