WHAT IS THE INTERPRETATION OF THIS "The gentleman wishes to be slow in speech but prompt in action.”

Peter van daan arrived at nine-thirty in the morning (while we were still at breakfast). peter's going on sixteen, a shy, awkward boy whose company won't amount to much. mr. and mrs. van daan came half an hour later. in both the diary and the play the diary of anne frank, how is peter portrayed when he first comes to the annex?