It is far wiser to adopt Mr. Swanland's _rôle_, and please nobody, than run the risk of trying to please anybody but himself. But at a meeting of creditors when his mission was to tell a flattering tale and get the ear of the assemblage, Mr. Swanland was a man of whom his partner felt justly proud. What could be neater than the way in which he placed the state of affairs, _so far as his information went_, before the bulls of Bashan with whom he had to deal. Like oil on the waters came the flow of Mr. Swanland's fluent tongue. He uttered no disparagement of Mortomley. His position was unfortunate, doubtless, and so was the position of his creditors, but Mr. Swanland was pleased to inform the meeting that he expected the estate to return a very good dividend; a very good dividend indeed. From what he could hear and from what he had seen, he was justified in saying a large profit could be realized by carrying on the works. There were a fine plant, an extensive connection, and a considerable amount of stock. It was perhaps unfortunate that Mr. Mortomley had not sooner taken his creditors into his confidence; but, said Mr. Swanland with a touching humility that might have done credit to Mr. Asherill himself, "we are all liable to error." "Mr. Mortomley acted for the best, no doubt." Here there was a murmur of dissent from the bulk of the audience, "but whether it has proved for the best or not in the past, at all events he has acted wisely in the present by relinquishing everything to his creditors." Here one sceptical wretch suggested "he hadn't given anything up till he couldn't help hisself." Which was indeed a statement too perfectly true to be controverted. Mr. Swanland therefore glossed it over. "No doubt," he said, "Mr. Mortomley would have done better for himself, and--others--had he consulted his friends and creditors at an earlier stage of his embarrassments, but even as matters stood, it afforded him, Mr. Swanland, much gratification to be able to state that no real cause existed for the gloomy view of affairs taken by a few of the gentlemen in the room. "He begged to be allowed to lay before the meeting a statement of Mr. Mortomley's liabilities and probable assets." Which he did. It was no part of Mr. Swanland's policy at this period to cover his canvas with dark colours. Rather he went in for Turneresque effects, and threw a lurid light upon the profits which might be expected from the continuance of the business under _proper supervision_; from the leasing of Homewood and its grounds to a suitable and responsible tenant; from the sale of the effects; from the collection of the outstanding book debts, and the appropriation of the remaining portion of Mrs. Mortomley's fortune.