Under the streetlights it looks so beautiful: like fairy silver, thinks Constance. But then, she would think that; she’s far too prone to enchantment.
-- Narrator (Alphinland paragraph 1)

Importance: When the story begins, Cosntance is looking lovingly on the freezing rain that falls. The narrator explains not only her thoughts on the rain, but that Constance has a habit of looking at the beauty in everything. It is because of this that Constance often has difficult distinguishing reality from fantasy – both in terms of how things appear to be, and how they really are; and between her writing, and the real world.

The beauty is an illusion, and also a warning: there’s a dark side to beauty, as with poisonous butterflies.
-- Narrator (Alphinland paragraph 1)

Importance: As Constance watches the freezing rain fall, she romanticizes it along with most other things in her life. She looks only for the beauty in things even when there can be danger...