Accompanied by Mr. Wickfield, David makes a preliminary visit of his new school. He meets Doctor Strong, the kindly man who runs the school. David also meets Annie who at first David mistakenly infers is Doctor Strong's daughter; Annie is the doctor's wife.
Subsequent to exchanging a word with Mr. Wickfield about the career of Annie's cousin Jack Maldon, Doctor Strong introduces David to his new classmates.
Alas, fearful that his sordid past in London will alienate him from his classmates, David keeps an arm's length from his classmates. In contrast, David feels at home at Mr. Wickfield's. Indeed, David rejects Mr. Wickfield's notion that life is dull at Mr. Wickfield's. When Mr. Wickfield suggests that it would be only natural for David to want to move out and find a place of his own, D
