One day Marilla said, "Diana Barry is home, Anne.
I'm going to the Barrys' today. You can come with me and meet Diana."
Anne looked up at Marilla. "I'm nervous! What if Diana doesn't like me?"
"Diana will like you," Marilla said firmly.
"But if Mrs. Barry doesn't like you, it won't matter how much Diana likes you."
Anne and Marilla went to the Barrys' house.
"Come in," Mrs. Barry said cordially. "Is this the girl you've adopted?"
"Yes, this is Anne," said Marilla.
"Spelled with an 'e'," Anne whispered.
When Diana came in, Anne saw she was a pretty girl with a happy face.
"Diana, take Anne to the garden and show her your flowers," said Mrs. Barry.
Outside, Anne and Diana sat among the roses, daffodils, daisies, and violets.
"Oh, Diana," Anne blurted out. "Can I be . . . your best friend?"
Diana laughed. "I guess so," she said. "I'm glad you're living at Green Gables.
There's no other girl who lives close, and my sisters are too little to play with."
"Will you be my friend forever and ever?
We must hold hands—like this," Anne said eagerly.
Diana looked surprised but said, "All right."
"I'll say the oath first," Anne said.
"I promise to always love my dear best friend, Diana Barry, as long as the sun and moon are in the sky."
Diana repeated the oath with a laugh. "You're a strange girl, Anne.
But I think I'm going to like you very much!"
The next day Anne hurried into the house.
"Oh Marilla," she cried, "there's going to be a Sunday school picnic next Wednesday, right near the Lake of Shining Waters.
And Mrs. Lynde is going to make ice cream. Think of it—ice cream! Can I go?"
"Yes, of course," Marilla answered.
"But . . . but . . . ," Anne stammered. "Diana says that everyone must take a basket of things to eat. I can't cook and—"
"I'll bake something for you to bring," said Marilla.
"Oh, you're so kind to me!" Anne exclaimed, kissing Marilla's cheeks.
It was the first time in Marilla's life that a child had kissed her.
She was secretly very pleased at Anne's impulsive show of affection, but she said gruffly, "All right, stop your kissing nonsense."
It was Sunday, three days before the picnic, and Marilla wore her amethyst brooch to church, as usual.
The brooch was Marilla's most treasured possession.
When Anne had first seen the brooch, she'd thought it was very beautiful too.
"Can I hold the brooch for a minute?" she had asked.
"I think amethysts are sweet, like violets!"
On Tuesday evening Marilla was frowning. "Have you seen my amethyst brooch?" she asked Anne. "I can't find it anywhere."
"I saw it this afternoon, when you went out," said Anne a little slowly.
"I was passing by and I saw it, so I went to look at it."
"Did you touch it?" said Marilla sternly.
"Yes," Anne admitted hesitantly. "I pinned it on, just to see how it would look."
"That was wrong, Anne. Where did you put it?"
"I put it near the mirror. I'm sure I put it back," Anne said.
"Well, now it's gone," said Marilla. She looked again, but she didn't see it anywhere.
"Anne, you were the last person to touch it.
Did you take the brooch and lose it?"
"No," said Anne. "I never took your brooch out of the room. That's the truth."
Marilla got angry. "I think you are lying, Anne," she said.
"Go to your room and stay there until you are ready to confess."
"But the picnic is tomorrow, Marilla!" Anne exclaimed.
"I'll stay in my room after the picnic, but I must go to the picnic."
"You aren't going anywhere until you confess," Marilla said firmly.
"Oh, Marilla," gasped Anne. But Marilla had left.
Marilla was worried. She was worried about her valuable brooch.
She was worried that Anne told lies.
Marilla searched the room again, but found nothing. Anne steadfastly refused to confess.
Wednesday was sunny, a perfect day for a picnic.
When Marilla took Anne her breakfast, she found Anne sitting on her bed. "I'm ready to confess," Anne said.
"Ah!" Marilla said. Her punishment had worked, but the success was bitter.
"I took the amethyst brooch," Anne began. "It was so beautiful!
I put it on my dress and pretended I was a beautiful lady who lives in a castle.
I went to the Lake of Shining Waters and the brooch fell off into the water and sank. That's my best confession."
Marilla became very angry. Anne had lost her precious brooch and did not seem sorry at all!
"Anne, you are a very wicked girl," Marilla said.
"Yes, I suppose I am," agreed Anne. "You have to punish me.
Can you punish me quickly so I can go to the picnic?"
Marilla snorted. "Picnic? You're not going to the picnic. That is your punishment."
Anne jumped to her feet. "But you promised me!
Oh, Marilla, I must go to the picnic. That's why I confessed.
Please let me go! There will be ice cream."
"You're not going to the picnic and that's final!" Marilla said.
Anne cried out loudly and flung herself on the bed, crying and crying.
"I believe the child is crazy!" Marilla said as she left the room.
Later Marilla decided to mend a black scarf.
The scarf was in a box near the window.
As Marilla held it up, something sparkled in the sunlight.
Marilla gasped. It was the amethyst brooch, hanging off the end of the scarf.
"I picked up this scarf on Monday," Marilla thought.
"The brooch must have caught onto it."
Marilla rushed to Anne's room. "I've just found my brooch.
What story did you tell me this morning?"
Anne replied, "You said I must stay in my room until I confessed.
So I confessed because I wanted to go to the picnic.
I thought of a good story, but I can't go to the picnic anyway."
Marilla had to laugh. "Anne, you are a surprise!
It was wrong for you to lie, but I understand why, and I should have believed you in the first place.
So if you forgive me, I forgive you. Now get ready for the picnic."
"But isn't it too late?"
"No, it's only two o'clock. Wash your face and comb your hair, and I'll get some food ready."
"Oh, Marilla! Five minutes ago I wished I was never born.
Now I wouldn't change places with an angel!"
That night Anne returned to Green Gables happy and tired.
"It was wonderful. We rowed a boat, and Jane Andrews nearly fell in the lake and drowned.
I wish it was me—how romantic to nearly drown."
After Anne went to bed, Marilla smiled and thought, "It's never boring with Anne around."