It neither encourages nor angers me.

It is a mere flabby exhibition of incompetency--much as if a jelly-fish should try to fight a sea-gull! Now you,--if you criticise me,--your criticism will be valuable, because it will be quite honest--there will be no 'personal' feeling in it----" She raised her eyes to his and smiled.
"No ?" Something warm and radiant in her glance flashed into his soul and thrilled it strangely.

Vaguely startled by an impression which he did not try to analyse, he went on hastily--"No--because you see you are neither my friend nor my enemy, are you ?" She was quite silent.
"I mean,"-- he continued, blundering along somewhat lamely,--"You don't hate me very much, and you don't like me very much.

I'm just an ordinary man to you.

Therefore you're bound to be perfectly impartial, because what I do is a matter of 'personal' indifference to you.