Dumas befriends a fellow traveler (Lila) aboard a ship and tells her of a brief romance ("love adventure") he had twenty years earlier with an actress whom he met while travelling in Italy under the name of M. Durand. Contains descriptions of travels in Italy. From correspondence between Dumas and Caroline Unger (1803-1877).
From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: This is reputed to be really one of Dumas' own little experiences, and at any rate he so relates it. Though not perhaps to English taste, it is an excellently told story, and gives a fine pen-portrait of the author. Period 1836 and 1856. Mr. Garnett has pointed out its importance and also its apparent oversight, for biographical purposes.
It first appeared in "Le Monte-Cristo" from October 13th, 1859, to January 12th, 1860.
Original edition : Brussels, Collection Hetzel, 1860.
First French edition: Paris, Cadot, 1860 (?).
Paris, Michel Lévy Frères (with "Herminie"), 1863. (Thieme.)
It now forms (with "Herminie") one volume in the standard Calmann-Lévy edition.
In Le Vasseur's "Alexandre Dumas Illustré" it is in Vol. XVIII.
References :—
Dumas: First portion of "Causerie" in "Le Monte-Cristo" for 8th October 1857.
