Read the following excerpt from a historical novel:
"The streets of Victorian London were a cacophony of sounds, echoing with the clatter of horse-drawn carriages and the chatter of an endless stream of pedestrians. Gas lamps flickered, casting an amber glow on the damp cobblestones as the sun set behind the towering, soot-stained buildings. The smell of coal smoke intermingled with the fresh scent of rain that had just begun to fall, creating a unique atmosphere that was both inviting and suffocating in its density."