Page:The life and writings of Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) (IA lifewritingsofal00spurrich).pdf/251

 rivals the other in popularity. The two romances were in point of fact written with great rapidity. Charles Reade's comment on the fact is amusing:

"This phenomenon astounded costive writers, and set them uttering, by way of solution, old wives' fables that turned the wonder into an impossibility. The account the authors themselves (Dumas and Maquet) gave was the only credible one. These works were flung off by even collaboration of two most inventive and rapid writers. Some of the work was written in almost less time than a single hand could have transcribed it. I believe they still show at Trouville, in a fisherman's cottage, the chamber and table where the pair wrote the first four volumes of 'Monte Cristo' in sixteen days."

According to the amiable Quérard (inspired by the equally kindly "de Mirecourt") "Monte Cristo" was written, the first half by Fiorentino, the second by Maquet. "It was so simple to believe I was the author, that they never even thought of it," says Dumas banteringly. He has given us his own account of the genesis of the book, in his "Causeries." We know already how the story got its "local habitation and its name"; and the evolution of the plot is no less interesting.

Towards 1843 Dumas had agreed with a firm of publishers to supply them with eight volumes of