Occasionally words must serve to veil the facts. But let this happen in such a way that no one become aware of it; or, if it should be noticed, excuses must be at hand to be produced immediately.

The passage recommends using words to conceal facts while keeping that concealment unnoticed. It then adds a fallback: have excuses ready if someone notices. This presents deception as a calculated practice, with attention given both to hiding the truth and explaining away the attempt.

Context reviewed 20 September 2026