Beadle's Dime Novels No. 120: The Hunchback — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

18 THE HUNCHBACK. the trees for the man who had betrayed me to my ruin, Then came a stormy time. I upbraided him with what he had done, and in return he insulted me, called me foul names, and laughed at the idea of his sister: ever wedding such a vile thing as I, He could not be silent, and at last he pressed me too far. I struck him in the face, and called on him to draw his sword. He was no coward, and in a moment the blades crossed. Isolated from all men as I had been, I had taken delight in fencing, and my master early succumbed to my potent sword, What was he in my hands? I beat down his point, and called on him to yield. But, the devil in his blood wus up, and he repeated that opprobrious term which, had first angered me. Then all seemed to change around me. Red lights danced in my eyes, and passed away, and he_lay there in the pride of his strength, with a ghastly wound in his breast, which my sword. had made. I swear to you, young soldier, that I did not know I was fighting until I saw him dead.. The fool made me angry, and when I am angry I forget that I live—I only know enough to thrust, guard, and cut. I stood there, looking on a dead body, the body of one who had been my friend, and whom his own mad passion had destroyed. Oh, for him, the strife of the world was over, and he had a fierce smile on his handsome lip, even as ‘he lay. “Vengeance followed me. I was hunted. like the deer in the forest. There was no rest given me, night or day. I left that country and came to New York, after converting my wealth into gold. But, vengeance never slept. Before I had béen a year in the land, the brother of the dead man, secking the fortune which had failed entirely when the prop upon which they had leaned, my wealth, was taken from them, found me here, living a the city, content with my lot. i, sought me out, and demanded satisfaction for his brother's blood. I knew that if he fought me, I should kill him, and that there was too much blood of his upon my hands already. I would not fight. _He,.too, insulted me, called me coward, smote me, but still I would not fight. ‘Then he left me, and began to persecute me. One night a mob came, headed by him, crying out upon me as a sorcerer, and dragged me before a justice. I was banished from the city, and went to Albany. He would not let me rest, even there; and again I was CconmiElooolkks.€@