[That's enough honesty to sort of jolt him out of being too embarrassed to respond. It's one thing to be flattered, but it's quite another thing to be told something like this - that she enjoys his company, that he does the right things to put her at ease, that it's a good thing that he only acts like himself. All of that is how he would like relationships with human beings to be, but somehow they never are. So he relaxes from hiding in his scarf a little bit, and looks serious, although he still has difficulty choosing his words.]

Pretense...human beings have an unfortunate proclivity towards it. I cannot say I have never been guilty, but it is...I have often wished it would be more like...

[But he's rambling again a little bit, so he lets the thought trail off, and clears his throat.]

I am pleased it is so. Thank you for your words, or, I suppose...