He had an intense fear of appearing conceited and took great pains to make light of his accomplishments or to avoid discussing them altogether. At first, she confused this with modesty and found the trait endearing; but eventually, she recognized it as the height of arrogance: he must believe himself to be a living miracle, given the amount of time and energy he expended in convincing people it was not so and worrying that his presence in the room might make them feel small.
False Modesty,