Another bit of unusual imagery is that, although the hall in which Godfrey stands is full of material wealth (various hunting paraphernalia, clothing strewn about, containers of ale), there is no mention of any family photos in the room. In a sense, the “large, empty entrance hall” in which Godfrey stands represents the general lack of emotional warmth in the Cass household.
The fire can also symbolize Godfrey’s detestation of his current wife—the half-choked fire being the lack of passion in their relationship. After all, Godfrey cannot love his wife Molly very much, if he secretly marries her and then promptly forgets about her. It is true that his wife is a drug addict, but he should at least feel pity for her, and this emotion is never expressed by him throughout the entire novel. Whatever affection he and his wife formerly had for each other is as dim as the small flame in the fireplace. 
The fire also represents Godfrey’s half-concealed, intense anger towards his brother, which flickers through quietly against the gloom of his current state of mind. “The scent of flat ale” adds to the general feeling of stagnation in the hall, and in the house in general. All the different objects—the fire, the ale, and the description of hunting gear—put more weight on the idea that the house is pervaded with a “domestic life destitute of any hallowing charm.”
As far as colors go, they describe Godfrey’s mood precisely. The first paragraph implies that a grey dimness clings to everything, much like the fact the Godfrey’s mood is constantly tinged with gloom.  The flickering of orange fire can be interpreted as parallel to the brief flare of anger that Godfrey feels as his brother enters the hall. The fact that Godfrey stands with his back to the fire means that he barely knows how to deal with his anger, or is barely even aware of it. If one sees color as representing the mood of the household in general, then one might determine that there is no love (represented by bright colors) in the family; only gloom and anger (represented by dim colors.)
	As Dunstan enters the room in the second paragraph, he gives off contrasting signals: a heavy step, and a cheerful whistle. A heavy step implies reluctance, over-confidence, or drunkenness. A whistle implies a certain nonchalance, or an attempt on the character’s part to appear nonchalant, even if he does not really feel that way. Although Dunstan is trying to appear fearless, his heavy steps betray him. Heavy steps can also be interpreted to represent a certain guilt or reluctance on the part of the person involved in such actions. Therefore, the words conveyed in the paragraph seem to imply a certain arrogance and reluctance on the part of Dunstan.
The imagery implicit in the scene with the spaniel slinking under the chair instantly alerts the reader to the mood of the situation: any peace loving person would rather be anywhere else than in the same room as these two brothers. 