How we cite our quotes: (Part.Letter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Monsieur de Valmont, with an illustrious name, a large fortune, and many agreeable qualities, early realized that to achieve influence in society no more is required than to practice the arts of adulation and ridicule with equal skill. (1.32.5)
Valmont would probably have a lot of followers on Twitter. In some ways modern society is not much different than Valmont's world. Social signaling was as important then as it is now. Madame de Volanges goes on to say that even though no one really respects Valmont, they turn a blind eye to his misbehavior because he's a wealthy aristocrat.
Quote #2
In so far as I am concerned, I have no more excuse than anybody. I receive Monsieur de Valmont as he is received everywhere: there you have another of the thousand inconsistencies that rule society. You know as well as I do that one spends one's life noticing them, complaining about them, and submitting to them. (1.32.5)
Madame de Volanges is admitting to Madame de Tourvel that she agrees to see Valmont despite knowing, like everyone does, that he's a very bad guy. The social rule operating here: hypocrisy. Everyone knows what's going on, but they just go along to get along.
Quote #3
I want you, then, to be so good as to go away from me, to leave this house, where a longer stay on your part could only further expose me to the criticism of a society which is always prepared to think ill of others […] (1.41.3)
Admittedly, there would be fewer scandals if people minded their own business. Do you think that his inclination to think poorly of others is due more to human nature or more to the social circles in which Valmont and Madame de Tourvel hang out (the idle rich)?