Page 5 - he brings your sister the joy she richly deserves. And she, alone, is always welcome here. I must thank you again for extending an invitation to Mr. Stanhope despite the whispers of the village. Though his father’s gambling has threatened scandal, the son bears none of the sins of the father, and I was so pleased to share such a joyful occasion with my very favourite neighbour. I must say that I have never encountered a man who listens quite so intently as Mr. Stanhope. Whatever topic we discuss in one of his frequent visits, he is sure to return to it in some way at the next. We read together — Phillis Wheatley, Amelia Opie, Olaudah Equiano, and Elizabeth Inchbald, most recently. We have been trading poets too; he is working hard to make me