He was not talkative or communicative of his own free will.

There was a certain cynicism back of his love of silence.

He was a good listener and a first-rate analyst.
Some people, he knew, were born to talk; and others, to trim the balance, were burdened with the necessity of holding their tongues.

For him silence was not a burden.
In his cool and causal way he admired Mary Standish.

She was very quiet, and he liked her because of that.