You see"-- he leaned forward again, laid two fingers in his palm and deepened his tone--"I will tell you: this tree--'our dead father's mistakes'-- is about to drop another rotten apple.

I spoke just now of the uproar this restitution would make; why, my-de'-seh, just the mention of the lady's name at my house, when we lately held the _fete de grandpere_, has given rise to a quarrel which is likely to end in a duel." "Raoul was telling me," said the apothecary.
M.Grandissime made an affirmative gesture.
"Mr.Frowenfeld, if you--if any one--could teach my people--I mean my family--the value of peace (I do not say the duty, my-de'-seh; a merchant talks of values); if you could teach them the value of peace, I would give you, if that was your price"-- he ran the edge of his left hand knife-wise around the wrist of his right--"that.

And if you would teach it to the whole community--well--I think I would not give my head; maybe you would." He laughed.
"There is a peace which is bad," said the contemplative apothecary.
"Yes," said the Creole, promptly, "the very kind that I have been keeping all this time--and my father before me!" He spoke with much warmth.
"Yes," he said again, after a pause which was not a rest, "I often see that we Grandissimes are a good example of the Creoles at large; we have one element that makes for peace; that--pardon the self-consciousness--is myself; and another element that makes for strife--led by my uncle Agricola; but, my-de'-seh, the peace element is that which ought to make the strife, and the strife element is that which ought to be made to keep the peace! Mr.Frowenfeld, I propose to become the strife-maker; how then, can I be a peacemaker at the same time?
There is my diffycultie." "Mr.Grandissime," exclaimed Frowenfeld, "if you have any design in view founded on the high principles which I know to be the foundations of all your feelings, and can make use of the aid of a disgraced man, use me." "You are very generous," said the Creole, and both were silent.

Honore dropped his eyes from Frowenfeld's to the floor, rubbed his knee with his palm, and suddenly looked up.
"You are innocent of wrong ?" "Before God." "I feel sure of it.

Tell me in a few words all about it.