Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) Part 1, Letters 31-35 Summary

Letter 31: The Chevalier Danceny to Cécile de Volanges

Danceny is now ecstatic even though the two of them have to hide their love from others.
He promises to love her more every day and devote himself to her forever.

Despite Tourvel's account of Valmont's generosity, Volanges still has no illusions about the fact that he's really an evil jerk.
One good deed can't possibly prove anything. It's outweighed by the hundreds of terrible things he's done and the people he's hurt.
She warns Tourvel again not to trust him and not to even be in his company.
She herself only allows him in her home out of social obligation. She knows it seems hypocritical of her.
She also warns there'd be a huge scandal if people learned they were staying under the same roof. Even the Marquise wouldn't do that.
She seems desperate to get Tourvel to see the truth about Valmont.

The Marquise tells the Vicomte that he's wasting his time trying to appeal to Tourvel's heart through letters.
To really get her to cave in to him, he needs to do it in person. It's too easy to resist in letters.
It's also too difficult to fake feelings in letters. She thinks his phrasing gives him away.
It's way easier to be convincing in person—you can cry, have sad eyes, sound sympathetic, etc.
BTW, she's making good progress with Cécile.

Valmont disagrees, saying he has no choice except to write because Tourvel, "the monster," won't speak to him.
Even getting letters to her is impossible. She won't even accept them.
Valmont sends a letter postmarked from the location of her husband, thinking this will trick her into opening it.
It works.
She opens it before Valmont and Madame de Rosemonde.
She's not pleased, but won't tell Rosemonde who it's from.

In a tone like Danceny's, but with a much more polished and sophisticated style, Valmont places the blame for his love on Tourvel herself.
If it's a crime to love her, well then, she's the instigator.
He demands to know who it is that has been telling her terrible things about him and what they've been saying.
Only then can he really defend himself against their charges.
Her letter made him feel so miserable that he's tempted to return it to her.