Sentence:  [I]n a few days my new groom came. He was a tall, good-looking fellow enough; but if ever there was a <WSD>humbug</WSD> in the shape of a groom, Alfred Smirk was the man. He was very civil to me, and never used me ill; in fact, he did a great deal of stroking and patting when his master was there to see it. ... [B]ut as to cleaning my feet, or looking to my shoes, or grooming me thoroughly, he thought no more of that than if I had been a cow. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A fraudster, cheat, or hypocrite.