A friend mentioned this "Silent Book Reading" event at a local hotel happening tonight and I looked it up. Was still wavering after work, but the next bus that came to the stop went within a block of the hotel, so I caught it and went: 1) I had the evening free; 2) it seemed like an interesting concept; and 3) I needed to catch up on reading. The event ran from 6-8 pm. I walked into the lobby a little after 6, and got my bearings. Straight ahead, I saw people. Reading. Not interacting with one another. It was crowded. Very quiet. Harp music playing across the room. I walked in, and the second empty seat was free, so I sat and took out my book. Looked around, most people were reading physical books, a couple e-readers.
Emily has found work as a seamstress, it is thought that she thinks that she should be a lady but wasn't born into it. She is not happy with her station in life.
Meanwhile Steerforth has ingratiated himself with the locals. He sends for his man. He buys a boat (he says) and has his man stay behind when he and David depart. They encounter a Miss Mowcher, who does make-up and hair. A woman from Emily's past (Martha) appears in the shadows and later at Peggotty's. She is distraught, they try to comfort her. In the end, Ham gives Emily his purse, and she gives Martha money to go to London. Emily says Ham is too good for her; to David's eyes, she seems to warm to Ham. David gets a letter from Trotwood asking him if he has decided on a profession yet, and offering up the idea of becoming a proctor. He discusses it with Steerforth on the way back to London.
When he arrives in London, he finds Trotwood there with her girl, Janet. She is very vulnerable and weak in the city, not the strong woman she has so far been. She and David set out to the Doctors' Commons, before they arrive they are followed by a man. Trotwood is afraid of him, but then orders David to order a carriage for her and the man. David sees her again a little while later, short of money, and minus the man. They go into the office of Spenlow and Jorkins. It is agreed that David will try it out for a month. Trotwood then finds David quarters at Adephi. He is pleased with the setup. It will be ready in two days. They take it. When the day arrives, he moves in and sends Trotwood and Janet back home.
David is lonely. He visits Steerforth's mother. Imagines he has feelings for Miss Dartle. Steerforth pays a visit. David insists on having a dinner party with he and his two friends, they come. They eat too much and drink too much. David says too much. Smokes too much. They go to the theatre, David is out of control drunk. He runs into Agnes. She begs him to leave. He obliges. Later, in bed and hungover, he is mortified. He spends the next day sick. The following day he receives a letter from Agnes. She invites him to call on her, to send his reply. He takes a long time before he sends his answer back with the messenger.
He loves her but is completely unaware of it. Calls her his good angel. She tries to warn him that Steerforth is his bad angel, but he won't hear it. Uriah Heep is there. He has insinuated himself into her father's life, he is always lurking near. Agnes is concerned, she tells David, asks him to befriend Uriah. He does, because she asked. At a dinner party full of bores, David encounters Traddles from the same school where he met Steerforth. He talks to Agnes late into the evening until he can no longer make excuses to stay. Uriah is there, hovering. Remembering his promise to her, he invites Uriah home for coffee...it runs late, he is repulsed by him. Uriah tells of his plan to marry Agnes. It's too late for him to return home; he sleeps in front of David's fire. When he departs in the morning, David imagines he watches the night depart, and leaves the windows open to clear the air of him.
The couple at the next table hold hands under the table, still reading their individual books. The woman whose table I'm at gets up and leaves. The harpist stops, I think I hear someone say "lets give a hand..." we clap, he bows. I see my friend as I get up to leave. She's across the room on a couch, head down, engrossed in her reading (a script, maybe?) I feel socially inept, and don't go over to say,"hi." I just leave and walk awkwardly down the hill. I feel awkward, my bag is banging into my leg and the hill is steep and slick from the rain, I walk so as to not slip. In the bus tunnel, it's hot and there is a really good french horn player playing up on the mezzanine. My bus comes. Someone smelling a little like mildew sits next to me. I fall asleep anyway. She falls asleep. Somehow I wake up right before my stop and have to wake her up as well. The woman nearest the exit is asleep. It was only slightly after 9 pm when I got off the bus.
