Which sentences in arthur conan doyle's "the contest" suggest that the author’s tone is mocking?

"Many a singer far better than this absurd fop had been driven amid execration and abuse from the platform." Is the sentence that really shows mockery the best. While the author was praising him for what he was doing in the beginning it ends with such a mocking tone it changes the way you look at the rest of the reading.

a. colleague is the answer