“He called upon me ten days ago.”
“Had you never met previous to that time?”
“Never.”
“And what was the occasion of the call?”
“Mr. Meredith said that a mutual friend, Arthur Reed, had written him that I was at the hospital and requested him to look me up,” explained Curtis. “Mr. Meredith took me out in his car a number of times and then asked me to spend this week at Ten Acres.”
“I see!” Penfield disentangled the string of his eyeglasses, which had slipped off his nose. “Had you met any member of this household before you came here on Friday?”
“No; they were all strangers to me.”
“Doctor Curtis,” Penfield referred to his notes, “were you the first to find John Meredith?”
“I was.”
“Describe the circumstances.”