Jack & Alice by Jane Austen

Author:Jane Austen [Austen, Jane]
Language: ita
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Classics
ISBN: 9788860365224
Google: cinAbwAACAAJ
Amazon: 8860365228
Publisher: Leone ed.
Published: 2010-06-15T09:54:32+00:00

CHAPTER THE FIRST

ITA

Mr Johnson was once upon a time about fifty-three; in a twelve-month afterwards he was fifty-four, which so much delighted him that he was determined to celebrate his next Birthday by giving a Masquerade to his Children and Friends. Accordingly on the Day he attained his fifty-fifth year, tickets were dispatched to all his Neighbours to that purpose. His acquaintance indeed in that part of the World were not very numerous, as they consisted only of Lady Williams, Mr and Mrs Jones, Charles Adams and the three Miss Simpsons, who composed the neighbourhood of Pammydiddle and formed the Masquerade.

Before I proceed to give an account of the Evening, it will be proper to describe to my reader the persons and Characters of the party introduced to his acquaintance.

Mr and Mrs Jones were both rather tall and very passionate, but were in other respects good tempered, wellbehaved People. Charles Adams was an amiable, accomplished, and bewitching young Man; of so dazzling a Beauty that none but Eagles could look him in the Face.

Miss Simpson was pleasing in her person, in her Manners, and in her Disposition; an unbounded ambition was her only fault. Her second sister Sukey was Envious, Spitefull, and Malicious. Her person was short, fat and disagreable. Cecilia (the youngest) was perfectly handsome, but too affected to be pleasing.

In Lady Williams every virtue met. She was a widow with a handsome Jointure and the remains of a very handsome face. Tho’ Benevolent and Candid, she was Generous and sincere; Tho’ Pious and Good, she was Religious and amiable, and Tho Elegant and Agreable, she was Polished and Entertaining.

The Johnsons were a family of Love, and though a little addicted to the Bottle and the Dice, had many good Qualities.

Such was the party assembled in the elegant Drawing Room of Johnson Court, amongst which the pleasing figure of a Sultana was the most remarkable of the female Masks. Of the Males, a Mask representing the Sun was the most universally admired. The Beams that darted from his Eyes were like those of that glorious Luminary, tho’ infinitely superior. So strong were they that no one dared venture within half a mile of them; he had therefore the best part of the Room to himself, its size not amounting to more than three quarters of a mile in length and half a one in breadth. The Gentleman at last finding the feirceness of his beams to be very inconvenient to the concourse, by obliging them to croud together in one corner of the room, half shut his eyes, by which means the Company discovered him to be Charles Adams in his plain green Coat, without any mask at all.

When their astonishment was a little subsided, their attention was attracted by two Dominos who advanced in a horrible Passion; they were both very tall, but seemed in other respects to have many good qualities. «These» said the witty Charles «these are Mr and Mrs Jones.» And so indeed they were.

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