They knew likewise that she had died soon after David came, and that her father, Luke Claridge, buried her in her maiden name, and brought the boy up as his son, not with his father's name but bearing that name so long honoured in England, and even in the far places of the earth--for had not Benn Claridge, Luke's brother, been a great carpet-merchant, traveller, and explorer in Asia Minor, Egypt, and the Soudan--Benn Claridge of the whimsical speech, the pious life?
All this they knew; but none of them, to his or her knowledge, had ever seen David's father.

He was legendary; though there was full proof that the girl had been duly married.

That had been laid before the Elders by Luke Claridge on an occasion when Benn Claridge, his brother was come among them again from the East.
At this moment of trial David was thinking of his uncle, Benn Claridge, and of his last words fifteen years before when going once again to the East, accompanied by the Muslim chief Ebn Ezra, who had come with him to England on the business of his country.

These were Benn Claridge's words: "Love God before all, love thy fellow-man, and thy conscience will bring thee safe home, lad." "If he will not repent, there is but one way," said the shrill Elder.
"Let there be no haste," said Luke Claridge, in a voice that shook a little in his struggle for self-control.
Another heretofore silent Elder, sitting beside John Fairley, exchanged words in a whisper with him, and then addressed them.

He was a very small man with a very high stock and spreading collar, a thin face, and large wide eyes.