Anne dissolved into tears under this double disgrace.
I couldn t--I had such a cold! and with this she fairly fled to the
gable chamber, where she cast herself on the bed and wept as one who
refuses to be comforted.
Presently a light step sounded on the stairs and somebody entered the
room.
Oh, Marilla, sobbed Anne, without looking up, I m disgraced forever.
I shall never be able to live this down. It will get out--things always
do get out in Avonlea. Diana will ask me how my cake turned out and I
shall have to tell her the truth. I shall always be pointed at as the
girl who flavored a cake with anodyne liniment. Gil--the boys in school
will never get over laughing at it. Oh, Marilla, if you have a spark
of Christian pity don t tell me that I must go down and wash the dishes
after this. I ll wash them when the minister and his wife are gone, but
I cannot ever look Mrs. Allan in the face again. Perhaps she ll think I
tried to poison her. Mrs. Lynde says she knows an orphan girl who tried
to poison her benefactor. But the liniment isn t poisonous. It s meant
to be taken internally--although not in cakes. Won t you tell Mrs. Allan
so, Marilla?
Suppose you jump up and tell her so yourself, said a merry voice.
Anne flew up, to find Mrs. Allan standing by her bed, surveying her with
laughing eyes.
My dear little girl, you mustn t cry like this, she said, genuinely
disturbed by Anne s tragic face. Why, it s all just a funny mistake
that anybody might make.
Oh, no, it takes me to make such a mistake, said Anne forlornly. And
I wanted to have that cake so nice for you, Mrs. Allan.
Yes, I know, dear. And I assure you I appreciate your kindness and
thoughtfulness just as much as if it had turned out all right. Now,
you mustn t cry any more, but come down with me and show me your flower
garden. Miss Cuthbert tells me you have a little plot all your own. I
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