A Modern Mephistopheles, and A Whisper in the Dark

This novel was written by Louisa May Alcott and first published anonymously in 1877, when she was 25 years old, perhaps so she could explore a "darker side" without tainting her reputations.

The book was then published under her name in 1889, along with her similarly dark story, A Whisper in the Dark, that you will find in this collection.

A mephistopheles is a demon from German folklore. A journal entry from February, 1877 explained what inspired her to write it: "It has been simmering ever since I read Faust last year."