But he would not take them into the sitting-room, no doubt dreading another diatribe against his profession; and we solemnly played euchre, and patiently endured the Major's withering sarcasms till ten o'clock sounded our happy release.
However, to make a long story short, a month later--that is, at the end of November--'Lynwood's Heritage' was published in three volumes with maroon cloth and gilt lettering.

Derrick had distributed among his friends the publishers' announcement of the day of publication; and when it was out I besieged the libraries for it, always expressing surprise if I did not find it in their lists.

Then began the time of reviews.

As I had expected, they were extremely favourable, with the exception of the Herald, the Stroller, and the Hour, which made it rather hot for him, the latter in particular pitching into his views and assuring its readers that the book was 'dangerous,' and its author a believer in--various thing especially repugnant to Derrick, at it happened.
I was with him when he read these reviews.

Over the cleverness of the satirical attack in the Weekly Herald he laughed heartily, though the laugh was against himself; and as to the critic who wrote in the Stroller it was apparent to all who knew 'Lynwood' that he had not read much of the book; but over this review in the Hour he was genuinely angry--it hurt him personally, and, as it afterwards turned out, played no small part in the story of his life.