These lines have a double meaning relating to the silver as the dream-ideal. Sotillo represents a society in a fragile state of Unity, i.e., any society. What keeps society unified is hope in the dream-ideal. Monygham, the cynic, does not believe in the dream-ideal (in his mind the silver is lost), but he intends to keep the false hope of it alive in Sotillo's little society, in order that it remain unified and thus less dangerous. In the next chapter the plan for Sotillo will take on metaphoric dimensions, with Monygham cast as the Devil who would deliberately fasten the dream-ideal on society while knowing it to be false and tragic.