A man enjoys the happiness he feels, a woman the happiness she gives.
[L'homme jouit du bonheur qu'il ressent, et la femme de celui qu'elle procure.]

In Letter One Hundred and Thirty, Madame de Rosemonde attempts to instruct the Présidente de Tourvel on the differences between men and women. The most important difference between the two sexes seems to be the way in which they experience happiness, and, according to Madame de Rosemonde, a woman can only be happy by making a man happy. Conversely, a man can only be made happy by a woman, but the woman's happiness does not seem to be necessary for him to be happy. This is a warning to Tourvel as her affair progresses with the Vicomte de Valmont. Despite the seemingly unique way in which they became lovers, there are certain characteristics of the two sexes that remain.