Ere long the future
succession of the Essendine title was assured beyond doubt. McKay was
blessed with a numerous family--many sons came to satisfy the head of
the house that the title of Essendine and the family name were in no
danger of extinction. But Lord Essendine lived for many years after
the termination of the Crimean war, and McKay was a general officer
and a Knight of the Bath before he became the fifteenth Earl of
Essendine.
Having thus disposed of the hero whose early career was so chequered
and eventful, I must add a word as to the fate of the other actors in
this veracious narrative.
First as to Hyde, who continued to be known by that name to his death,
preferring it greatly to the other, with its painful memories. He
remained a prisoner in the depot of the Prefecture only a few days.
The confession made by Ledantec and the evidence of other witnesses so
amply attested the innocence of the M. Gascoigne accused of the
Tinplate Street murder that his release followed as a matter of
course. Hyde waited in Paris to hear the issue of the trial of the
real offenders, and, painful as it was to be present at the sentence
of the woman who had once borne his name, he yet listened without
flinching to the whole story. After all, there was a certain relief in
knowing that he was well rid of her.
Pages:
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410