How we cite our quotes: (Part.Letter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
You would laugh to see how openly she preaches at me. She wishes, she says, to convert me. (1.6.5)
Valmont finds Madame de Tourvel's doomed attempt to convert him humorous precisely because she is entirely unsubtle about it. Whereas he is set on manipulating her—secretly scheming to make her fall in love with him—she wants him to change his ways with a free and informed decision.
Quote #2
Even more treacherous and dangerous than he is charming and fascinating, he has never, since his early youth, taken a single step or spoken a single word without some dishonourable or criminal intention. (1.9.2)
In trying to warn Madame de Tourvel about Valmont, Madame de Volanges sums him up perfectly. He's more than just a bad guy; he's intentionally bad. His charm and wit are only used in the service of evil motives. See "psychopath."
Quote #3
Do not leave me in the delirium into which you have thrown me: lend me your reason, since you have deprived me of mine. (1.24.2)
Valmont pretends that Madame de Tourvel has control over him, but his words are meant to coerce her emotionally into doing his will.
Quote #4
O fairest of his creation, follow the example of His charity! Think of my cruel sufferings. (1.36.9)
Madame de Tourvel is devoutly and piously religious. Valmont isn't, but he'll use the lingo in order to appeal to Tourvel's Christian sense of justice.
Quote #5
'Monsieur knows better than I do,' he said, 'that to lie with a girl is only to make her do what she likes doing. It's often a far cry from that to making her do what we want her to do.' (1.44.6)
This statement, made by Valmont's valet Maraud, may be one of the most disturbing and despicable sentiments expressed in the novel. Maraud and Valmont assume that women who sleep with them, even under threat, enjoy the experience. They also both use sex to manipulate women. That the novel doesn't explicitly condemn these views added to its controversy.
Quote #6
He was clever enough to avoid humiliating his rivals, and clever enough to persuade them that they might easily have met with the same success as he; clever enough, above all, to make them admit that they would never, any more than he has done, let such an opportunity slip. (2.79.19)
Valmont is referring to a man named Prévan, a successful master manipulator like himself, who successfully seduced three close friends away from their lovers and turned those lovers not against him, but against the women. When Valmont hears that Madame de Merteuil has designs on the man, Valmont claims to fear for her reputation. He's probably just jealous and wants to prove himself the more skilled player.
Quote #7
Accepting [Prévan's] arm, I was wicked enough to make my hand tremble lightly in his hand and, as we walked, to lower my eyes and quicken my breathing, as if in presentiment of my defeat and awe of my conqueror. […] I ask you, could you have done better yourself? (2.85.11)
This is the opening move in the Marquise's plan to seduce Prévan and then accuse him of rape. She knows that a player like Prévan wants to be seen as a lady-killer, so she pretends to be at his mercy. He buys it. It's been the Marquise's experience that men love to be feared, and she sure knows how to play them.
Quote #8
Pooh! Your Présidente has you by the leading-strings, like a child. (3.81.4)
Wait. Valmont is Pooh? Winnie the Pooh? We knew his morals were all stuff and fluff, but, wow. Anyway, the Marquise is trying to humiliate Valmont by accusing him of being under the influence of Madame de Tourvel. That might be, but it's not Madame de Tourvel's doing. She doesn't know how to be insincere. It's the Marquise who's doing all the manipulating.
Quote #9
You must know, then, that Monsieur de Valmont who hitherto has delivered Monsieur Danceny's letters to me, suddenly found it too difficult to continue in the usual way. He wanted a key to my room. I can certainly assure you that I did not want to give him a key, but he went so far as to write to Danceny, and Danceny wanted me to do so. I am always so sorry to refuse him anything. (3.97.3)
When at first you don't succeed...Valmont's first effort to convince Cécile to give him her bedroom key didn't work, but that didn't stop him. Knowing how much she wants to please Danceny, he involves him in the plot. He's already insinuated himself into Danceny's life in a way that he knows would make it hard for Danceny to deny him what he wants. When you're a master manipulator, you know that there's more than one way to skin a cat. [Disclaimer: no cats were harmed in the writing of this sentence.]
Quote #10
So, throwing myself at her feet, and in the dramatic tones you know, I cried, "Ah, cruel woman! Can any happiness exist for me that you do not share? How can I find it away from you? Ah, never! never! (4.125.22)
This is the coup de grace—fancy French word for "death blow." This is just what Madame de Tourvel needs to hear to push her over the edge, and she falls into his arms at last. Vile mission accomplished.