His eyes wandered over the titles of the volumes.
They also belonged to a bygone period--a melancholy accumulation of works as dead as their writers.

Two whole shelves were occupied with the numbers of a forgotten periodical which claimed to give "ample details of the unhappy difference between Queen Caroline of Great Britain and her consort George the Fourth." Barrant wondered idly why human nature was always so interested in the washing of dirty linen.

Above these was ranged a row of published sermons.

Barrant's eye roamed higher and fell on a fat sturdy volume wedged in between some slimmer books.

The title of this book was "Clocks of All Periods." Clocks! He reached for the volume and placed it on the table.