Is this sentence grammatically correct?

In my novel, a character says to another:

"Do not mistake my indifference towards you for compassion."

Is this grammatically correct, or should it be:

"Do not mistake my indifference towards you for that of compassion." ...?

I'm inclined to think the former, but I know my grammar ain't no good (hehe).

All comments welcome.
Thanks,
AJ

 

The original one is fine, the second one is way wrong.

 

Besides, in dialogue I think you can get away with more if it's not 100% grammatically correct. Most people don't talk like your second example.

 

I would say:"Do you mistake my indifference towards you, as compassion?"

 

Either work for me. I think characters can be flawed like the rest of us.

 

only the first makes good sense... but, as one noted above, people do not always speak grammtically... so, if your character is clueless re grammar, he could say anything...

 

Thanks everyone; I'll take all of this on board.

 

I think the speaker of the second couldn't really be a native English speaker, but in that case it would be an effective way of showing it.

 

My take.

"Do not mistake my indifference towards you for compassion."

Depending on the rest of the dialogue I'd consider omitting "Toward you" because it would be understood who the person talking was indifferent to.
Wouldn't "Do not mistake my indifference for compassion" work?

I agree with Digitig about the speaker being non American or at least someone for whom "American English" was not his first language.
We Americans are lazy when it comes to speech. In south Alabama it would be "Don't mistake my indifference for compassion" 99 out of 100 times.