To live for others and not for himself--this was to extinguish his very life.

What were others to him?
All of his world was centred in his little home-circle.

Alas! that its power to fill the measure of his desires was gone--its brightness dimmed--its attraction a binding-spell no longer! And so Markland strove to shut out from his mind the light shining in through the little window opened by Mr.Allison; but the effort was in vain.

Steadily the light came in, disturbing the owls and bats, and revealing dust, cankering mould, and spider-web obstructions.

All on the outside was fair to the world; and as fair, he had believed, within.