Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) Part 2, Letters 76-80 Summary

Letter 76: The Vicomte de Valmont to the Marquise de Merteuil

In a message that screams "overreaction," Valmont tells the Marquise that she's deranged to think he's frightened of Prévan.
He's sure that Prévan will brag about his exploits with her and destroy her reputation.
He tells her that he was afraid Tourvel would escape his advances.
He made a grand entrance at a dinner Tourvel was attending and as soon as she heard his voice, she looked totally thrown off balance.
She finally has to leave the table on the pretext of getting some air.
Later, he and some other guests go out to look for her in the garden.
He later catches sight of her while going to his room. He spends some time imagining her naked.
They exchange timid glances—at least, timid on her part, fake-timid on his.
Needing a diversion to deliver Danceny's letter to Cécile, he jumps up and loudly asks if Madame de Tourvel is ill.
While the others run over to see what's wrong, he throws the letters in Cécile's lap.

Valmont continues to heap the guilt on Madame de Tourvel and tells her that her behavior towards him doesn't seem like love or friendship.
He can't understand what he's done to make her keep avoiding him.

Madame de Tourvel defends her actions, saying that Valmont's reputation, behavior, and broken promises are the reasons for her coldness to him.
She wonders how many times she has to explain it to him before he gets the point.

Valmont gives some history about Prévan.
Once upon a time, three young men, the best of friends, each took a lover.
Society came to know them as the "inseparables."
Prévan managed to join their social circle and figured out that the three couples weren't as close as they seemed.
He plotted and carried out a plan to seduce all three mistresses and then turn the three gentlemen against their lovers instead of him. Everyone got to see it happen.
This should be a lesson for the Marquise that Prévan is quite the dangerous schemer.