Mr
Mills decides to move to India with his daughter.
Dora’s aunts invite
David to pay them a visit with a friend. He goes with Traddles.
On their way, David
receives confirmation of his opinion that Traddles’s fiancée is exploited by
her whole family. This makes for one more obstacle to the marriage, because
Sophy’s family are reluctant to part with her, who is so useful to them.
Dora’s aunts agree to
David paying them regular visits in order to decide if they approve of his
engagement to Dora.
David is surprised
that Betsey gets along well with the sisters.
David tries to get Dora to learn about housekeeping, unsuccessfully. He realizes that she is maintained in a childish position by everybody around her.
New characters:
Lavinia and
Clarissa Spenlow: Mr Spenlow’s sisters and Dora’s aunts.
Lavinia is older
than Clarissa.
Neither of them
has ever been married.
Lavinia imagines
herself to be an expert in love.
They
are often compared to birds.
David remembers that he learnt how to be determined, hard-working and patient at that period in his life, when he was engaged to Dora and he had to learn how to support her and himself if he wanted to marry her.
Mr Wickfield and Agnes visit the Strongs. Uriah hints to David that he is aware of Jack Maldon’s real position in the Wickfield household.
David takes Agnes to meet Dora. The two girls get along well. Dora is a
bit amazed that David loves her rather than Agnes.
When David takes Agnes home, she assures him that she will never marry
Uriah.
David sees a light on in Dr Strong’s study and goes in
to say goodnight. Uriah is there with Dr Strong and Mr Wickfield. Dr Strong is
crying. Uriah has just told Dr Strong that everybody suspects his wife of
cheating on him with Jack Maldon. Uriah forces Mr Wickfield and David to admit
that they have suspected this to be the case.
Dr Strong blames himself for marrying so young and beautiful a woman,
who must be unhappy with an old man. Mr Wickfield takes him to bed.
David then insults Uriah and strikes him across the face. Uriah calmly
tells David that he forgives him for his outburst. This remark prompts David to
feel, for the first time, morally inferior to Uriah.
David receives a letter from Mrs Micawber, who writes that her husband
has become a different man, sullen and greedy, a stranger to his children and
short with her.