"We hate him," replied the boy, shortly.

"And the other night when you were arrested, you were rather proud of
standing up and taking your punishment without breaking down. If one
of the men arrested at that time had broken down, you'd all have
despised him, I suppose?"

"Sure thing," agreed Nucky, turning his head ever so little toward the
man.

"Enoch, why are you breaking down now?"

"Aw, what difference does it make?" demanded the boy. "You despise me
anyhow!"

"Oh!" ejaculated Seaton as a sudden light came to his groping mind.
"Oh, I see! What a chump you are, old man! Of course, I despise the
kind of life you've led, but I blame Minetta Lane for that, not you.
And I believe there is so much solid fine stuff in you that I'm giving
you this trip to show you that there are people and things outside of
Minetta Lane that are more worth a promising boy's time than gambling.
But, you won't play the game. You are so vain and ignorant, you refuse
to see over your nose."

"I told you, you despised me," said Nucky, sullenly.

The man smiled to himself. Suddenly he took the boy's hand in both his
own.

"I suppose if Jack had been reared in Minetta Lane, he'd have been just