In the headlong stream of consciousness of the past hours he met with circumstances that he lingered over, and tried to understand, to no avail.

Yet when all lay clearly before his mental gaze he felt a sad and tremendous fascination in the spectacle.
For many weeks he had lived on the fancy of getting home, of being honored and loved, of being given some little meed of praise and gratitude in the short while he had to live.

Alas! this fancy had been a dream of his egotism.

His old world was gone.

There was nothing left.