All 5 Uses of

pretense

in

Murder in the Cathedral

And if you ask me, I think the Lord Archbishop Is not the man to cherish any illusions, Or yet to diminish the least of his pretensions.†
Chpt 1

For a little time the hungry hawk Will only soar and hover, circling lower, Waiting excuse, pretence, opportunity.†
Chpt 1 *

…absence, separation from God; The horror of the effortless journey, to the empty land Which is no land, only emptiness, absence, the Void, Where those who were men can no longer turn the mind To distraction, delusion, escape into dream, pretence, Where the soul is no longer deceived, for there are no objects, no tones, No colours, no forms to distract, to divert the soul From seeing itself, foully united forever, nothing with nothing, Not what we call death, but what beyond death is…†
Chpt 2

902 T. S. ELIOT And at a later time still, even such temperate measures as these would become unnecessary, But, if you have now arrived at a just sub ordination of the pretensions of the Church to the welfare of the State, remember that it is we who took the first step.†
Chpt 2

Definition:

(pretense)
a false appearance or action to help one pretend

editor's notes: This is sometimes seen in the expression "false pretense" or "false pretenses" which is just emphasizing that behavior or actions do not reflect the true situation.