The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 287: what you’re looking at

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

REVELATIONS OF THE MONSTER-MAN = 257 _ so ghastly in their expression of mingled anguish and horror; ‘and it was not difficult to conjecture how she had died, or how her remains had found the rites of sepulture. Misery and starvation had done the former, — the cold charity of the parish had done the latter. But I will not dwell upon the churchyard scene of that dreadful night. Suffice it to say that once more did the curse rise up from the depths of my soul, — that curse which had sprung into existence when I found that my family had been turned adrift on the wide world. Yes, this fearful curse did I now renew, adopt again, and swear to carry out to the best of my ability. I sought to steel my soul against all pity and all remorse; my wife was murdered by the cruel laws and institutions of which I had been first made the victim, and a terrible retaliation could alone appease my thirst for vengeance. Vengeance, then, would I have. Need I tell you that I restored the remains of my poor wife to their last resting-place, and that I repeated over her grave the oath I had sworn to avenge her? ‘Then I quitted the churchyard, and at a short distance I met a well-dressed man dragging himself along in a state of almost helpless intoxication. I recollected that I had no money left, and I robbed him of the little money which he had about him. He was too powerless to offer resistance, and I did not hurt him. But I hurried away, rejoicing in this new crime; for I saw that it was useless for an outcast wretch such as I to endeavour even to be good. Neverthe- less, when the excitement of these exploits began to wear away and the inevitable influence of reaction came, I once more cursed the destiny which branded me like a second Cain; and I would have given worlds, had I possessed them, to undo the deed of the robbery. But remorse was useless and unavailing; and, behold! in a few days the infernal hallucination came back again, and in the depth of the night to another churchyard did I wend my way. Once more did I pass through the hideous ordeal of a frightful conflict with all my better feelings, and once more did the infuriate demon that was within me triumph over the last efforts of my guardian genius to save me. The wire of the spring-gun was found and cut, as on the former occasion, & grave was opened, a corpse was torn up, and, inspired with a diabolical rage and a demoniac fury, I hacked and hewed it with the shovel. COU boo <S m