Unwittingly, Monygham is hammering further nails into the coffin of Nostromo's allegiance: what Nostromo hears is, "Yes, your life was meaningless to all the rulers."

On a deeper level, the symbolism of "treasure" as inner worth or character continues, with "surrendered this treasure" meaning "sacrificed my integrity" (which is what Nostromo would have done by showing a light to Sotillo). The doctor's grim remark implies that at this point of the novel, all the characters have surrendered that, along with their ideals.