It had been a bad day. A heavy rain had made the moor so spongy that it fairly sprang beneath the feet.
-- Narration (N/A)

Importance: This description appears near the beginning of the story, and it helps to subtly establish the growing ominousness of the story's tone. Notably, this description focuses on nature, and it provides a gloomy, almost treacherous description of the weather. This description potentially foreshadows the scene at the Strid, where Gifford's life is apparently endangered by water and the natural surroundings.

His intimate friend, the companion of his boyhood, the chum of his college days, his fellow-traveller in many lands, the man for whom he possessed stronger affection than for all men, had mysteriously disappeared two days ago...
-- Narration (N/A)

Importance: This quotation establishes two important pieces of exposition, and it juxtaposes them to create narrative tension. First, the reader learns that Weigall and Gifford are very close friends. Second, the reader...