Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) Part 4, Letters 141-145 Summary

Letter 141: The Marquise de Merteuil to the Vicomte de Valmont

The Marquise believes she's being deceived—that Valmont really loves Madame de Tourvel.
At least as much as it's possible for someone like him to love anyone.
She thinks he's projecting all these wonderful qualities onto Madame de Tourvel that she doesn't really possess.
The Marquise seems to be jealous. Is this for real?
She tells him a story about a man who was unable to breakup with a woman who didn't suit him.
His friends were tired of him saying, "It's not my fault."
A lady friend sent him a letter mocking him, a nasty fake break-up letter with each insulting sentence ending with, "It's not my fault."
The Marquise thinks the letter might be useful to Valmont, but she doesn't tell him what happened to this other man.
She'll tell him in her next letter, along with her ultimatum about their relationship.
BTW, she agrees that the news about Cécile's miscarriage should be saved for after the wedding to Gercourt.
And oh yes, sorry for your loss, Vicomte.

Valmont has copied the letter and sent it to Madame de Tourvel.
He's waiting for a reply but there's none so far.
He's very curious about what happened to the man in the Marquise's story, as well as about this ultimatum she promises to send.

Valmont tells the Marquise that he tried to see Madame de Tourvel and was told she'd run off to the convent.
He thought this was just a story she made up to avoid seeing him, but later finds out that she really did go to the convent.
He toys with the idea of trying to convince her to reconcile with him; he wouldn't really want it you know, it would just be a challenge.
He reports that Cécile has bounced back, like kids do, from her "illness."
Cécile's illness inspires Danceny to visit her regularly. He doesn't know what happened, of course.
Valmont prides himself on deceiving Cécile, Danceny, and (in the future) Gercourt.
Now the Marquise just has to deliver on her promises.

Laughing at him, the Marquise tells Valmont that the letter she sent him, the one he gave to Madame de Tourvel, was to manipulate him.
Her victory wasn't over Madame de Tourvel, it was over him.
She says he still loves her but allowed the Marquise to enjoy making him ashamed of it.
She thinks he's stupid for have impulsively sent the letter and given up the woman he really wanted.
It was the easiest thing in the world for her to have made him give up Madame de Tourvel.
She saw through his scheme to lure Madame de Tourvel back on "false" pretenses. That way he could pretend to have met the Marquise's demand while still enjoying his affair with Madame de Tourvel.
Ultimately, she couldn't care less what he does with the Presidente de Tourvel.
The decision whether to return Cécile to Danceny or to try to get her pregnant, the Marquise leaves to Valmont, but she wants to be consulted before he makes a decision.
She says she'll come to Paris at some indefinite time and will prove her love for Valmont despite being so unhappy with him at the moment.