“A marvellous stillness pervaded the world, and the stars, together with the serenity of their rays, seemed to shed upon the earth the assurance of everlasting security. The young moon, recurved, and shining low in the west, was like slender shaving thrown up from a bar of gold, and the Arabian Sea, smooth and cool to the eye like a sheet of ice, extended its perfect level to the perfect circle of a dark horizon.”

Wow, what an arresting extract! A panoramic canvas dense with distinct images is spread out before my startling eyes as the richly atmospheric sense evolves. The lyrical description is profound in its poetic richness, providing a powerful evocation of the wonders of the night.

As i read it aloud and mouth the words in their silky delicacy, i discovered in amazement that an ethereal fragrance permeated the surrounding air, and transported me to the very shoreline of the unperturbed Arabian Sea.