From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: Dumas' last great effort in romance. A long story again divided into two parts, each of two volumes, for convenience of publishing.
Chincholle says emphatically that Dumas worked at this quite alone, even to the searching out of the necessary references.
It deals with the adventures of a doctor and a young girl during the great revolution. The period is 1785 to 1793 for "Le Docteur Mystérieux," and 1793 to 1794 for "La Fille du Marquis."
This work must have been long maturing in its author's brain. In the specimen number of the original "Le Mousquetaire," that is to say in November, 1853, he definitely states that he has contracted for "Création et Rédemption" with the management of "La Revue de Paris." In 1867 Chincholle writes of him dictating it to his secretary. In 1868 Princesse Pauline Metternich describes him as relating the story throughout a whole evening, and as stating that it was not yet committed to paper ; this occurred in her house. Perhaps Chincholle or the princess was wrong as regards the year.
Evidently this work did not appear in the "Revue de Paris." Chincholle says that it was destined, in 1867, for "Le Siècle."
Dumas announced it as to be issued in "Le D'Artagnan."
Original edition: of "Le Docteur Mystérieux," 2 vols., 12mo.. 1872; of "La Fille du Marquis," 2 vols., 12mo., 1872. Paris, Michel Lévy Frères.
They still form part of the Calmann-Lévy edition, each title in two volumes.
In Le Vasseur's "Alexandre Dumas Illustré" they form part of Vol. XIV.
References :—
Chincholle: "Alexandre Dumas Aujourd'hui," pp. 22, 36, 41, 43.
Metternich (Princesse Pauline): "My Years in Paris" (English translation, pp. 176-78).
Dumas: "De la Critique et Surtout des Critiques," in "Le Mousquetaire," No. for November 12th, 1853.
