My Pleasure Reading. Summary №7

Chapters 49 - 56

David receives a letter from Mr. Micawber asking for a secret, but when they meet Mr. Micawber runs away. Shortly afterwards, David receives a letter from him in which he invites David to meet him next week at an inn in Canterbury. Martha arrives at David's house; they go together to the rooming house where David sees Little Em’ly. After a while, Mr. Peggotty arrives and comforts Em’ly. Soon afterwards Mr. Peggotty shares Em’ly story with David, telling him that Em’ly, after running away from Littimer, was taken in by an Italian housewife. This woman hid her from Littimer and then nursed her through a fever. After Emily recovered, she went to France and then to Dover. In England, she was found by Martha in London. Mr. Peggotty makes plans to take Emily away to Australia where they can start a new life.

David, Betsey, Mr. Dick, and Traddles meet Mr. Micawber in Canterbury. Mr. Micawber presents his evidence against Uriah Heep. Heep warns them all to stop or he will ruin them all with the secrets he knows about them. Mr. Micawber reads a document he has prepared about Uriah's crimes: he often asked Mr. Micawber to falsify business in order to deceive Mr. Wickfield; that he made Mr. Wickfield do business when drunk; that he embezzled money from Mr. Wickfield, while managing to make it appear that it was Mr. Wickfield who was the dishonest one; and that he forged Mr. Wickfield's signature. Mr. Micawber ends by saying that he is now unemployed and sees no other future than the debtors' prison for himself and starvation for his family. Betsey suggests that the Micawbers should immigrate to Australia. Besides, Betsey offers to loan him the money to go there. The Micawbers approve the idea.

Dora is dying, and David feels terribly alone without her company. She asks to see Agnes, and after the private conversation with her Dora dies. David decides to go abroad for a time. Traddles reports that without Uriah’s influence, Mr. Wickfield has improved. Traddles says that he can recover all of Betsey's and Mr. Wickfield's money. Besides, Traddles reports that Uriah has left town with his mother, and that no one knows where he is. The next day, Betsey takes David to the funeral of her husband, who died in hospital.

Mr. Peggotty and Emily make preparations to go to Australia. David takes a letter from Emily to Ham at Yarmouth, but is delayed by a terrible sea storm. Late that night, a ship from Spain is caught in the storm off the coast. During the commotion on the beach, David sees Ham and tries to keep him from going out on a rescue mission. Ham dies while attempting to rescue another man from the ship. The rescued man turns out to be Steerforth. Steerforth's body is brought home to his mother. David tries to explain what happened. Rosa declares her love for Steerforth and is bitter that Mrs. Steerforth has fought with her son for so long, only to be reunited with him by death.