Beadle's Dime Novels No. 120: The Hunchback — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Se THE PROPOSAL. : 17 “T tired of it at last; and then, a man who had called me friend, stabbed me through that friendship—a man highly es- teemed among his straight-backed fellows—a man with a face which might have deceived an angel, let alone a man like myself, unsophisticated, little used to the wiles of the gay world. ‘This man tempted me to do what a man in my condi- tion should not do. Hetempted me to love. It was his sister whom he threw in my way, a beautiful girl, whom I believe from my soul was never a party to the vile plan to insult me, She was kind to me. She pitied my forlorn condition, and I, fool that I was, thought she loved me. Oh, my God !” The hunchback dropped his head upon his hands, and bitter tears, such as a strong man in agony could shed, forced them- selves through his fingers, and fell upon the hard floor. Stan- ton was surprised. He had not considered the deformed man capable of such feeling. The dwarf composed himself by a powerful effort, and went on: “T had made myself rich in knowledge, for books had been my only companions until I came of age. She used to sit by me for hours, and study some lesson from the old mas- ters, well knowing how happy it made me to have her by my side. All this time the subtle schemer was pouring into my ears his insidious flattery. ‘ The girl had been brought up to respect learning, in whatever form, and would learn to love me.’ I swallowed it all, and one day, when I was driven wild by passion, I asked her to be my wife. Oh, the horror expressed in every lineament of her beautiful face, as she Sprung away from me, and put up her hands to ward me off. As if I would have harmed her! As if I could have moved hand or foot, I, who was stricken as with a palsy! He had led to me. The villian had lied. He had hoped that it might be so; that she might learn to care enough for me to marry me, and. by my fortune, to prop up his failing house, But, she had never dreamed of it. “¢ Your brother said you loved me,’ I pleaded at length, in extenuation of my great offense. “¢* My brother is mistaken, she said, with a little tinge of Pride in her tone. ‘I never gave him cause to think s0, Give me leave to pass.’ “I turned aside and let her pass by, and waited there under cConicloooks.conn