“Yes; poor Whiting is quite sick?”
“Who?”
“Whiting; don’t you know him?”
“No; who is he?”
“I knew him in the city here, and we were cronies.”
Whiting was a myth, but I had a facility for lying which helped me through in an emergency.
“I hope you will find him better.”
“I’m afraid it’s all up with him; he is probably in consumption.”
“I am sorry for him.”