[After a moment, he finds the voice to reply, throwing a pile of defensiveness and sharp retort over the hurt that had quieted him in the first place.]

After all of that, is that what you think? Right. Yeah. There's the Hermann Gottlieb behind the line. I was wondering where he went off to. But thanks for the glowing approval; I'll keep up the good work pampering my ego and being inconsiderate, because that's what I do best, right? That's my primary diet, as a matter of fact.

On second thought, I'm gonna just let you do your thing alone.

[And, because he's all but five despite himself, he half-heartedly offers a parting insult:]

Have fun with your chalk dust and your tacky sweater vests.