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Jack impersonally refers to Ellis Burden, who he thought was his father, as the Scholarly Attorney. When Jack was six, the Scholarly Attorney left his luxurious home, his lucrative law practice, and his attractive wife. He went to the capital city to write religious pamphlets and to help the \"unfortunates.\" Jack never understood Burden\'s desertion. Many years later, after Judge Irwin\'s death, Jack discovers the reason: The Scholarly Attorney was not his natural father. Jack was conceived during an affair between the Judge and his mother.
After this revelation, Jack\'s view of the Scholarly Attorney as a weak man is reinforced. Nevertheless, Jack acknowledges the man\'s sensitivity and compassion.
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