Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) Part 3, Letters 101-105 Summary

Letter 101: The Vicomte de Valmont to Aȥolan, his valet

After scolding his valet for not informing him the instant Madame de Tourvel left the house, Valmont gives him a task.
Aȥolan is to spy on Tourvel and offer to help out her letter carrier so he can divert her letters to Valmont. If possible, he should get a job as one of Madame de Tourvel's servants, the better to see everything that she says and does.
He's to report back every detail concerning Tourvel and contact Valmont immediately if anything important happens.

At one in the morning, a tormented Madame de Tourvel writes to Rosemonde to explain her sudden departure.
She's in love with a man not her husband and doesn't feel that she could resist much longer.
She does not name Valmont, but she doesn't hide suggestive details either.
She goes on at length about her love and her guilt. She feels she's thrown away her virtue.
She sees only good in this man, and it destroys her to have to cut all ties with him.
She's never known such love before and she blames herself for not nipping it in the bud.
Tourvel asks her former host to adopt her as a daughter and protect her from herself.

Madame de Rosemonde isn't surprised at the reason for Tourvel's departure.
She reassures her that she knows who the man is, even if Tourvel never mentioned his name.
She tries to comfort her by observing that, even if Tourvel succumbs to temptation, she'll still have fought with all her might.
She will gladly look upon Tourvel as her daughter.
Before she signs off, she lets it slip that "he" seemed very sad about Tourvel's sudden departure.

The Marquise thanks Madame de Volanges for her trust.
She counsels her that Gercourt would make the better match for her daughter, having better prospects in life.
She understands that Madame's maternal instincts make her want only her daughter's happiness.
But passion, she says, comes and goes and shouldn't be trusted where marriage is concerned.
Marriage is about mutual sacrifice, not the illusions of love.
And Gercourt is a wealthy man; money doesn't guarantee happiness, but it makes it easier.
And what if later in life, Cécile would wish her mother had been more firm in her insistence on a more settled and wealthy husband?
She says that too many young women are so infatuated that they can't see their lover's flaws.
When the infatuation wears off, everyone's miserable.
She leaves it to Madame to decide, however.

In a totally mean-spirited letter dripping with sarcasm, the Marquise accuses Cécile of acting like a child.
She comforts the girl that not all men are like Valmont.
Then she suggests that Cécile liked the experience more than she's willing to admit. Otherwise, why wouldn't have resisted as much as she thought she should?
She tries to convince her that the best way to keep her virtue with Danceny, her true love, is to keep busy with another man.
Next she counsels her to make friends with Valmont by making advances on him. After all, he's well-placed in society and could help out her prospects.
She warns Cécile not to let her other trick her into admitting her love for Danceny.
And PS, she shouldn't write everything she feels in her letters. She needs to play harder to get with Danceny.