To settle his sorrows and come to terms with Dora’s death, David decides to take up Agnes’ proposal and go abroad for a period of time. But before he can do so, there is some business to attend to, in Canterbury, with regard the “final pulverization of Heep,” as Mr. Micawber has termed it.
Subsequently, David, Agnes, and David’s aunt go to Mr. Micawber’s house, in Canterbury.
When David’s aunt asks the Micawbers how they feel about emigrating, Mr. Micawber assures David’s aunt, that nothing would please him and his family more than starting afresh in a new land. Mr. Micawber then takes the liberty of asking David’s aunt whether it would be all right to push back the scheduled repayment of the loan (the loan David’s aunt is making on behalf of the Micawbers), arguing that it might be some time before Mr. Micawber can acquire gainful employment. Mrs. Micawber assures David’s aunt that the Micawbers will make good on the repayments, citing her children’s efforts, however futile, at milking a cow, observing pigs, and driving cattle, in Canterbury, in preparation for their new life in Australia. Subsequently, David’s aunt, citing their mutual trust, tells the Micawbers to pay the loan back at their convenience.
Ever the garrulous ones, the Micawbers then expound at length of unceremoniously taking their leave of Mrs. Micawbers’ family. When Mr. Micawber argues that this is bound to happen on account of his wife’s family’s enmity toward Mr. Micawber, Mrs. Micawber argues that her family’s failing is that they don’t understand Mr. Micawber, ameliorating Mr. Micawber’s bitterness.
Presently, the Micawbers withdraw for the sake of letting their patrons confer and arrive at a course of action that would once and for all put Heep at a disadvantage, while providing relief for his victims. Traddles begins by expressing his concern for David whose recent mourning may have weakened him to a state unfit for the business at hand. David assures Traddles he is fine and expresses concern for his aunt who has lately been very busy. But David’s aunt dismisses David’s concern, prompting Traddles to proceed with the business at hand.
Traddles proceeds by praising Mr. Micawber whose efforts to uncover Heep’s abuses have been virtually superhuman. He also praises Mr. Dick whose vigilance have kept the Heeps confined to their rooms and whose energy have assisted Traddles greatly in terms of extracting, copying, fetching, and carrying legal documents. Traddles then argues how it would be best for Mr. Wickfied to relinquish his business. Agnes agrees that that would be best, arguing that there was nothing she wished more than to have her father free of his business and its obligations. As to making a living, citing her good name in Canterbury, Agnes assures her friends that she would find gainful employment.
Traddles then brings up the loss of David’s aunt’s cottage in Dover. He confirms the suspicion that it was Heep’s doing, adding that it was purely motivated by Heep’s malice against David. David isn’t surprised. Happily for everyone, however, by dint of revealing Heep’s abuses, Traddles has managed to recoup the loss in full.
Finally, there is the problem of Mr. Micawber’s IOUs. Has Heep has gone out of his way to inform the authorities of the Micawbers’ debts, the likelihood that the Micawbers will be tied up in legal wrangling and never make it to Australia is very high. Consequently, David and his friends decide to pitch in to pay for Mr. Micawber’s debts which will be tied in to his passage to Australia. As an aside, Traddles mentions a personal issue pertaining to David’s aunt only to be denied its meaning.
When Mr. Micawber is informed of how his family’s debt troubles and emigration will be settled, he is so grateful that in his eagerness to set the repayment mechanism in motion he presently goes to buy the stamps with which to mail his repayments only to return accompanied by a sheriff’s officer who intends to arrest Mr. Micawber. Luckily for Mr. Micawber, his friends pay for his release and all is well.
David and his aunt repair to Agnes’ house where they spend the night before returning to Highgate the next morning. (Incidentally, Heep and his mother had departed not long ago from the Wickfields’ residence, and to David their absence is equivalent to the removal of a disease.)
Upon returning to Highgate, David’s aunt reveals to David a secret, which Traddles had touched upon. Her former husband, whom David had seen milling about David’s aunt’s cottage that one time, has recently died. David’s aunt had been busy of late to be by his side, in a London hospital. Upon their arrival at Highgate, they also find a letter from Mr. Micawber, informing them of how he had been recently arrested again only to be freed again thanks to David’s aunt in whose name the Micawbers’ funds are meted out as necessary.