He was scrupulously honest, and his word was as good as a bond.

However, although Ozias had never told a lie in his life, he had perpetrated many subtleties of the truth.

He was wily and secretive.

"A man ain't a liar because he don't tell all he knows," he said.
When asking for more shoes from Cyrus Robinson, he had said nothing about his wife's working upon them, but he knew that was the inference, and he did not contradict it.

He forbade Belinda to mention the matter in one way or another.