retiringness

She says— I think a partial solution for the circumscribed fame of Mrs. Shelley as a writer may be traced to her own shrinking and sensitive retiringness of nature.

Indeed the note, some would say the fault, of Keble's whole life was an almost morbid retiringness, which made him in 1827 refuse even to compete with Hawkins for the Provostship of Oriel.

Shy when they ought to have been bold, and bold where a modest retiringness would better have become them.

But might not this very retiringness, this tendency to avoid the others and spend her time alone, indicate that she too was troubled?