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Made inveterately suspicious of others' motives by years of being pursued by his greedy relatives, Old Martin exhibits deep mistrust of the kindly Mrs. Lupin, hostess of the Blue Dragon Inn. The illustration of Mary Graham (right), Old Martin (centre), and the Widow Lupin (left) in old man's bedchamber at the inn realizes the following moment:

"You do your errand, and you earn your fee. Now, who may be your client?" said Martin. Mrs. Lupin looked at her whom he called Mary in astonishment. —Chapter 3.

He implies that she is an agent of one of the Chuzzlewit clan, all of whom are eager to learn just how ill he is, and whether he will change his will to include them. The next scene, "Pleasant Little Family Party at Mr. Pecksniff's," continues this theme.

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Last modified 26 April 2007