Hardly —
The use of hardly in the sense of 'harshly', 'with hardship' is not uncommon :
1. He loved them equally; but he judged Georges more hardly, he knew his weakness. — John Christopher, Book IV. p. 515.
2. But at night, hardly though he tried, he could never succeed in seeing him in dreams — Ibid. Book IV, p. 273.
3. So now Whang the Tiger....brought out a handful of money, and he said, "Here is a largess for you, and do not deal too hardly with yourself in your travels." — Sons by P. Buck, Chapter V, pp. 398-399.
4. But Whang the Tiger did not heed this either and he only smiled hardly; for he thought it was a trick of hers — Ibid., Chapter XIII, pp. 524-525.
