Summary Chapter 25




Two days have passed since the night when David had embarrassed himself before Agnes when he is on his way out to work only to be waylaid by a ticket-porter who has a message from Agnes. To David’s pleasant surprise, the message makes no allusion to his night of dissipation. Indeed, Agnes merely asks David to come pay her a visit at Mr. Waterbrook’s house in Ely Place, Holborn, where she is currently staying with her father on a matter of business. Grateful, David spends an inordinate amount of time and stationery composing a reply which he eventually does with a simple and direct message praising Agnes.

Not unlike his hesitancy in composing the reply, David has to muster up his resolve to pay Agnes the visit he has committed himself to. When he eventually does, David finds Agnes to be her usual serene and friendly self to the extent he can’t help but to call her his good Angel. The compliment saddens Agnes though David neither detects the sadness nor has a clue as to why the compliment should sadden her. By and by, using the compliment to her advantage, Agnes advises David to be wary of Steerforth, arguing that if she—Agnes—is David’s good Angel then Steerforth is David’s bad Angel. David objects.

The conversation turns to Uriah Heep and of his insidious ways in having made himself indispensable to Mr. Wickfield to the extent Uriah, who was formerly the Wickfields’ servant, is now Mr. Wickfield’s—Agnes’ father’s—business partner. Agnes finds this turn of events so distressing that she weeps, alarming David. A reference to David’s crush on this girl or that girl lightens the mood, however. By and by, as David is about to part from Agnes, Mrs. Waterbrook takes note of him and, pleased with his gentlemanly bearing, invites him to dinner the next day.

The dinner party at the Waterbrooks’ house turns out to be insufferable what with the table talk revolving around the supremacy of aristocratic blood over all other qualities and around judicial intrigues of which no one is actually aware of but the two who talk of them in the most animated fashion. David’s consolation is the presence, at the party, of Agnes and of his old Salem House friend Traddles, who works under Mr. Waterhouse as a clerk. Indeed, David takes the opportunity to introduce Agnes to Traddles who is enjoined at David’s behest to praise Steerforth for Agnes’ benefit.

Though he is glad that Agnes will eventually part company with the unappealing crowd at the Waterbrooks’ house at Ely Place, Holborn, David is sad that he himself won’t see her for a very long time. The one person with whom David is glad to part, however, is Uriah Heep who has practically been by David’s side all night long. For Agnes’ sake (she has entreated David not to treat Uriah unkindly), David invites Uriah to his apartment for coffee only to regret the kind gesture. As the talk evolves from Uriah’s promotion in life (from a lowly servant to Mr. Wickfield’s law partner) and to Uriah’s romantic designs on Agnes, David has the strong urge to run Uriah through with a sharp metal object. David puts up with Uriah, however, even letting him stay overnight on account of the late hour.



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