Chapters 17 - 24
Uriah invites David to tea with him and his mother. During the meeting Mr. Micawber walks past the house and sees David. David introduces him to the Heeps. David accompanies Mr. Micawber to the hotel where he and his family are staying. Mrs. Micawber tells David that her husband did not succeed in finding a job in Plymouth and that they are again in a difficult financial situation. After a while they move to London.
David finishes school and is trying to find a suitable career. His aunt suggests that he should visit Peggotty in Yarmouth to clear his head and do some research into various professions. Before he goes to London Agnes confesses that she is worried about her father's drinking problem and the influence that Uriah Heep is starting to have over him. Having arrived to London, David meets Steerforth who tells that he is studying at Oxford University, but is bored with his studies and is on his way to visit his mother. David accepts an invitation from Steerforth to stay for a day or two at his mother's home in Highgate, London, before going on to Yarmouth. David, in his turn, invites Steerforth to accompany him to Yarmouth, to visit Mr. Peggotty and Ham, and to meet Little Em'ly and Peggotty.
David and Steerforth arrive at Mr. Peggotty's house and find everyone excited by the news that Little Em'ly has agreed to marry Ham. During the visit, David stays at Peggotty's house while Steerforth stays at the inn. Because of this, they spend a lot of time apart, and Steerforth often goes out alone with the fishermen. David often visits his old house. One evening, he returns and finds Steerforth very upset, not explaining why. After they leave the house, Steerforth tells David that he has bought a boat, which he has named The Little Em'ly for Mr. Peggotty to use it in his absence. Steerforth and David go to dine at an inn, where they meet a dwarf, Miss Mowcher, who gossips with them about her wealthy clients and Little Em'ly.
David and Steerforth leave Yarmouth and return to London where Miss Betsey has arrived to help settle David's new career as a proctor. The next day, David and Betsey go to visit Mr. Spenlow and Mr. Jorkins in the Doctors' Commons, where proctors have their offices and where David will be trained to be a proctor. Mr. Spenlow agrees to employ David as his clerk. After that, David goes with Betsey to rent lodgings from a landlady called Mrs. Crupp.
David is happy with his new independent life, but he misses Agnes. Steerforth comes to visit David at his new lodgings. David arranges a dinner party to welcome Steerforth and his friends from Oxford. During the party, David gets drunk for the first time and is persuaded by the others to go to the theater where he meets Agnes. She is angry to see him drunk and convinces him to go home. He does so and wakes up the next day regretting all the things he did being drunk.
Excellent!
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