_The_ Viscount de Valmont _to the_ Marchioness de Merteuil.
Well, Marchioness, how are you after the pleasures of last night? Are
you not a little fatigued? You must acknowledge Danceny is a charming
fellow! That lad is a prodigy! You did not expect such things from
him; is it not true? I must do myself justice; such a rival deserved
I should be sacrificed to him. Seriously he has a number of good
qualities! So much love, so much constancy, so much delicacy! Ah! if
ever he loves you as he does his Cecilia, you will have no occasion to
dread being rivalled; he has proved it this night. Perhaps through dint
of coquetry, another woman may entice him for a short time; a young man
hardly knows how to resist incitements; but you see a single word from
the beloved object is sufficient to dissipate the illusion; so that
there is nothing wanting to complete your happiness, but being that
beloved object.
Certainly you will not be mistaken; you have such exquisite feeling
it is not to be apprehended: yet the friendship that unites us, as
sincere on my side as acknowledged on yours, made me wish you should
experience the proof of this night; it is an effort of my zeal—It has
succeeded—But no acknowledgements—it is not worth while—nothing more
easy.
But to the point; what did it cost me? Why a slight sacrifice, and a
little address. I consented to share with the young man the favours
of his mistress; but he had as great a right to them as I had, and I
was not in the least uneasy about them. The letter the young creature
wrote him, I dictated; but it was only to gain a little time, as we
could employ it to so much better purpose. What I wrote with it was
nothing, almost nothing. Some few friendly reflections to direct the
new lover; but upon honour they were useless—To tell the truth, he did
not hesitate a moment. Moreover, he is to wait on you to-day to relate
all; and it certainly will give you great pleasure! He will tell you,
_read my heart,_ so he writes me; and you see that I will settle every
thing. I hope that in reading what he pleases, you will also perhaps
read, that such young lovers are dangerous—and also, that it is better
to have me for a friend than an enemy.
_Paris, Dec._ 6, 17—.