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Returning to Florence on the occasion of his 18th birthday, Aurelian—together with his sworn companion Hippolito—dons his disguise in anticipation of the most famous Florentine ball. Once there, the two are soon separated, and each finds himself paired off with a beautiful—and masked—woman. While Aurelian yearns to learn the true identity of his “love,” Hippolito is mistaken for another and brazenly plays along with the conceit. Chaos abounds as masks are dropped, truth revealed, and, somehow, all ends happily. Dramatist and novelist William Congreve is best remembered for his comedy The Way of the World.