Upon returning from Mr. Barkis’ funeral, David seeks solace by haunting about Dora’s house for two hours. Indeed, David is so in love that he confides Peggotty who fails to understand the nature of David’s love. As far as Peggotty is concerned, David has no cause to be aggrieved of a girl who fails to see David’s superior merits.
One day, David escorts Peggotty to the bank to settle her affairs with regards Mr. Barkis’ last testament and will. To make the most of the outing, David and Peggotty visit some of London’s landmarks, including St. Paul’s Cathedral of which Peggotty is particularly impressed. Not long after David escorts Peggotty to his workplace, the Commons, to pay the bill of having Mr. Barkis’ last will and testament settled. Alas, while waiting for a clerk to present the bill, David and Peggotty encounter Mr. Murdstone who is to be married and for which purpose he is at the Commons: He has applied for a marriage license. Needless to say, David has few kind words for Mr. Murdstone, while Peggotty has words, for Mr. Murdstone, that are virtually hostile. By and by, Peggotty, having had her bill settled, returns home, while David joins Mr. Spenlow for their day’s duties.
One of those duties involves attending to a case revolving around a Mr. Thomas Benjamin whose desire is to have his marriage annulled. As it turns out, on account of having filed his name as Thomas and not Thomas Benjamin at the time of his marriage, which Thomas Benjamin had contrived to do for the purpose of annulling his marriage in case he found it disagreeable, Thomas Benjamin wins his case, which David finds morally dubious. Mr. Spenlow argues otherwise. Then, as David and Mr. Spenlow make their way to the Prerogative Office, David objects to the state of the Prerogative Office, arguing that no institution that assumes to safeguard the peoples’ last wills and testaments should be run like the Prerogative Office which is a fire hazard, not to mention a haven of sinecurists. Again, Mr. Spenlow argues otherwise.
Presently, Mr. Spenlow invites David to a picnic, on the occasion of his daughter’s birthday. David accepts. Indeed, David is in raptures to the extent he is mindless of wearing boots which pinch his feet to the picnic. Also, for the picnic, David buys a bouquet of flowers for Dora, and he rents a gray mare to travel on. When David arrives at Norwood, he has the pleasure of meeting Dora’s friend Julia Mills, who David learns has had a heartbreaking love affair on account of which she has personally forsaken love. Regardless, David finds Miss Mills especially perceptive and sympathetic to his plight with regards Dora. Indeed, having arrived at the picnic sight, it is Miss Mills who acts as go between, bringing David and Dora together, this after they had drifted apart on account of Red Whisker and Miss Kitt who had respectively monopolized the affections of Dora and David.
On their way back to Norwood, while Mr. Spenlow is asleep in the phaeton, Miss Mills invites David to her residence in two days’ time, adding that Dora will be her guest in two days. Naturally David accepts.
Having made up his mind to propose to Dora, David arrives at Miss Mills’ residence to find Dora painting the bouquet of flowers he had bought her, while Miss Mills is busy copying music. When Miss Mills discreetly leaves the room, David musters the courage to propose to Dora. He spills his guts, telling Dora how he would die for her if need be, while Dora’s pet dog, Jip, barks the louder the more passionate David gets. Suffice it to say, David and Dora become engaged. They decide to keep it a secret from Mr. Spenlow for the time being.
These are idle times for David and perhaps his happiest. He and Dora spend many days in the pleasure of the others company. Then one day they have their first fight, after which Dora returns David the ring he had bought her. David is distraught. He confides in Miss Mills who again manages to bring David and Dora together again.