Yarmouth

Well, first off, more people of interest:

Littimer.  A servant who came into Steerforth's company while he was at University.  David refers to him as "respectable," which I think translates to "disdainful," as he always makes David feel small and naïve in his presence, and carries an air about him that causes the other servants to do his work for him rather than ask him to do anything.  He arrives in Yarmouth on the last full day that David and Steerforth are there.  "To do what he needs to do."  Very secretive.

Martha.  A woman David and Steerforth encounter as she comes out of the shadows and mournfully follows Ham and Emily home on their last night in Yarmouth.  When David arrives at Peggotty's to stay the night, he finds Ham outside pacing.  Emily and Martha are inside with Peggotty.  David and Ham enter, Martha is distraught and on the ground, holding herself like a woman in agony.  David recognizes her from the first time he was in the funeral home (Mr. Omer's), she was working there.  She knows Emily from school, though three years older.  We hear her say that she wishes to go to London, where no one knows her.  We don't know what has caused this need to go away, but Emily agrees to give her money.  Ham hands Emily his wallet rather than her own, and Emily gives Martha enough money.  After Martha departs, Emily breaks down sobbing, stating that , "I am not as good a girl as I ought to be," - (Chapter 22) which she repeats, as she clings to Peggotty.  When at last she has been calmed and all traces of the weeping have been removed so as to not upset her uncle, she and Ham leave for home.  She grateful and affectionate to the latter.  David sees it as a good sign.  (Also, Emily is employed by Omer (and Joram, now) as a dressmaker.  Not much loved by the other women/girls in town.  Jealousy, and a sense the they believe she thinks she is better than them.  She wishes to be a lady.  And with Ham, she never will be.  Her engagement to Ham occurs right before Steerforth and David arrive at the Mr. Peggotty's home on their first night in Yarmouth.  Upon taking leave that night, Steerforth states, "That's rather a chuckle-headed fellow for the girl, isn't he?"-(Chapter 21.)

Miss Mowcher.  A travelling make-up and hair artist.  Also a dwarf.  Suspect she can alter appearances.  Has known Steerforth for some time.  Offers her services up to David, and he declines.  Takes an interest in hearing about Emily.

During their stay in Yarmouth, David and Steerforth are often apart.  David is often off to visit his old home place, and spends the night with Peggotty and Barkis, while Steerforth stays at the inn in town and can keep later hours.  He insinuates himself in with the locals.  This is also how he ends up buying the boat, later christened "Lil Em'ly," which David takes as a generous gesture to Mr. Peggotty.

On their last full day in Yarmouth, David spends one last day at his old home place, and arrives back in Yarmouth late.  He finds Steerfoth alone in Mr. Peggotty's home staring into the fire in a melancholic state.  He violently starts when David touches him on the shoulder.  In a rare burst of truth, he states that he wishes he had had a wise father to guide him in life, that he would have been better off to be Mr. Peggotty or Ham for all their simple-ness and poverty, than himself.  But he eventually shakes off this private self, and puts back on the air of his public face.  We don't yet know what he has done.  (Also, Mr. Barkis is not well.)

They return to London the next day, most of the town turning out to see them off.  On the way, they discuss a letter David has received from Betsey Trotwood regarding his decision toward an occupation.  She has suggested becoming  a proctor.  He asks Steerforth about it, S explains what one is, and that it would be as good as a profession for David as any other.  David decides to go along with it.

Trotwood and Janet are in town.  David takes leave of Steerforth, they agree to meet in a couple days time.  He goes to meet his aunt, who is paranoid in the city, trusting nothing.  They decide to go to the Doctors Commons the next day to meet with the Messrs. Spenlow and Jorkins about the situation.  David agrees to try out the position for a probationary period.  They depart and Miss Betsey finds David lodgings, and then she and Janet return to Dover.

Oh, one other thing.  When David and Betsey set off for the Doctor's Commons in London, they are followed by the mysterious man that Mr. Dick had mentioned to David previously.  Betsey has David hire a carriage for the she and the man and leaves David on the street.  When she returns, she is missing most of the money in her purse.  He makes her fearful, but we have yet to learn his identity.  (Though she was married earlier in life.) 

Getting close both to the half-way, and the point where I left off a year ago.  But you always pick up on more things in the re-reading of it.  (I've decided I need to re read "The Seagull," because I can't distill it down to a sentence or two of explanation.  So it's somewhere at the bottom of a long list of reading now.)