Dobbin, with a great deal of hesitation and stuttering,protested that he was not in the least hungry or thirsty;that he had no business to transact; that he only came to ask if Mr. Sedley was well, and to shake hands with an old friend; and, he added, with a desperate perversion of truth, "My mother is very well—that is,she's been very unwell, and is only waiting for the first fine day to go out and call upon Mrs. Sedley. How is Mrs. Sedley, sir? I hope she's quite well." And here he paused, reflecting on his own consummate hypocrisy;for the day was as fine, and the sunshine as bright as it ever is in Coffin Court, where the Tapioca Coffee house is situated: and Mr. Dobbin remembered that he had seen Mrs. Sedley himself only an hour before,having driven Osborne down to Fulham in his gig, and left him there tete-a-tete with Miss Amelia.