He had filled these shelves with books of which he was fond, for daily reading.

They were most of them old.

He had little money with which to purchase new ones.

He had been forced to rely upon those which his father and grandfather had accumulated.

There were, however, a few recent and quite valuable books which he had acquired since his venture in trade, upon entomology, especially books upon butterflies.
Since his retreat from the law he had developed suddenly, perhaps by the force of contrast, or the opposite swing of the pendulum, an overwhelming taste for those airy flowers of animated life.