Having spent a night at the Dolphin (an inn), David boards the carrier manned by Mr. Barkis the first thing in the morning. As they proceed to Blunderstone, David informs Mr. Barkis that Mr. Barkis’ message to Peggotty had been sent. However, the news doesn’t please Mr. Barkis who says that he hadn’t received an answer. When David asks Mr. Barkis if he had spoken to Peggotty about it, Mr. Barkis says no and that he wouldn’t dare to speak about it. When David asks whether he—David—should speak about it on Mr. Barkis’ behalf, Mr. Barkis consents.
By and by, David arrives at Blunderstone Rookery to find his mother, who is unaware of David’s arrival, nursing a baby. (David is early.) When David makes his presence known, mother and son share hugs and kisses as in their former days. (Mr. and Miss Murderstone are away and are not expected until late at night.) As David’s mother informs David that the baby is David’s younger brother, Peggotty comes running out of the kitchen to greet David.
Presently, it is like old times, as the three partake of dinner. When David alludes to Mr. Barkis’ message, Peggotty blushes and hides her face with her apron. When David’s mother laments at the possibility of Peggotty getting married and leaving her, Peggotty assures David’s mother she will never leave although the Murdstones would be glad if she had.
After dinner, sitting around the fire, David speaks about his admiration for Steerforth. Then out of the blue, Peggotty wonders about the fate of David’s great-aunt. She wonders if the great-aunt would forgive David for being a boy and concludes that she wouldn’t on account of the new baby and on account of the Murdstones, compelling David’s mother to defend the Murdstones and Miss Murdstone in particular. As the evening wears on, David reads to Peggotty from the book about crocodiles when the Murdstones arrive. David goes to his bedroom (to pretend he is aleep) as the Murdstones would disapprove of his staying up late.
Next morning, with great trepidation, David presents himself before the Murdstones and apologizes to Mr. Murdstone about the biting incident. Miss Murdstone asks David about the length of his vacation, and upon learning it is a month, marks off a day on her calendar.
During the course of the day, Miss Murdstone berates David for handling the baby and vehemently contradicts David’s mother’s assertion that there is a striking resemblance between David’s and the baby’s eyes. Realizing that the Murdstones have practically brainwashed his mother to do their bidding in every aspect of life, David finds solace in the kitchen, consorting with Peggotty when Mr. Murdstone takes David to task for avoiding the parlor and consorting with a servant. Subsequently, David spends the rest of his vacation trying to appease the Murdstones. When his vacation ends, David isn’t sorry to leave, and as he leaves, the image of his mother holding up the baby lingers in David’s mind.