Edward's intent was clear: he was implying that William was impressive.
Kelly, of course, picked up on this. He was somewhat puzzled as to why Edward was lavishing such praise on William. For a moment, he felt a bit lost. But his perception of William had shifted from that of a mere freshman.
Yet, William wasn't pleased or flattered by Edward Taylor's compliments.
Thinking of having him as a mentor wasn't a simple matter. To William, it was more about the mood; he wasn't inclined to take on an older man as a disciple. After long conversations with William in the past, even Socrates had expressed a desire to make William his teacher, only to be firmly rejected.
William simply nodded and smiled at Kelly, setting aside the ancient book he had been perusing. "I'm not interested in these books," he told Edward Taylor. "You can take them back."
Ancient books? Hadn't William seen enough of those in the past?
