 But, the cups were empty of coffee, the flowers were dead in the vase, and the guests had not come.But, Blake saw his own reflection in the plate glass.Martin explains that this illustrates a "false-front emptiness" where Miss Dent thinks Blake's life is full of friendships, money, and a large and loving family but in reality sleeps in a room by himself, torments his wife, and all but abandoned his son to a neighbor.