The good reviews, however, were many, and their recommendation of the book hearty; they all prophesied that it would be a great success.

Yet, spite of this, 'Lynwood's Heritage' didn't sell.

Was it, as I had feared, that Derrick was too devoid of the pushing faculty ever to make a successful writer?
Or was it that he was handicapped by being down in the provinces playing keeper to that abominable old bear?
Anyhow, the book was well received, read with enthusiasm by an extremely small circle, and then it dropped down to the bottom among the mass of overlooked literature, and its career seemed to be over.

I can recall the look in Derrick's face when one day he glanced through the new Mudie and Smith lists and found 'Lynwood's Heritage' no longer down.

I had been trying to cheer him up about the book and quoting all the favourable remarks I had heard about it.