Mrs. Lynde was up to see Mrs. Barry today and Mrs. Barry was in an
awful state, she wailed. She says that I set Diana _drunk_ Saturday
and sent her home in a disgraceful condition. And she says I must be a
thoroughly bad, wicked little girl and she s never, never going to let
Diana play with me again. Oh, Marilla, I m just overcome with woe.
Marilla stared in blank amazement.
Set Diana drunk! she said when she found her voice. Anne are you or
Mrs. Barry crazy? What on earth did you give her?
Not a thing but raspberry cordial, sobbed Anne. I never thought
raspberry cordial would set people drunk, Marilla--not even if they
drank three big tumblerfuls as Diana did. Oh, it sounds so--so--like
Mrs. Thomas s husband! But I didn t mean to set her drunk.
Drunk fiddlesticks! said Marilla, marching to the sitting-room
pantry. There on the shelf was a bottle which she at once recognized
as one containing some of her three-year-old homemade currant wine for
which she was celebrated in Avonlea, although certain of the stricter
sort, Mrs. Barry among them, disapproved strongly of it. And at the
same time Marilla recollected that she had put the bottle of raspberry
cordial down in the cellar instead of in the pantry as she had told
Anne.
She went back to the kitchen with the wine bottle in her hand. Her face
was twitching in spite of herself.
Anne, you certainly have a genius for getting into trouble. You went
and gave Diana currant wine instead of raspberry cordial. Didn t you
know the difference yourself?
I never tasted it, said Anne. I thought it was the cordial. I meant
to be so--so--hospitable. Diana got awfully sick and had to go home.
Mrs. Barry told Mrs. Lynde she was simply dead drunk. She just laughed
silly-like when her mother asked her what was the matter and went to
sleep and slept for hours. Her mother smelled her breath and knew she
was drunk. She had a fearful headache all day yesterday. Mrs. Barry is
so indignant. She will never believe but what I did it on purpose.
115