Diana was sitting on the sofa, reading a book which she dropped when the
callers entered. She was a very pretty little girl, with her mother's
black eyes and hair, and rosy cheeks, and the merry expression which was
her inheritance from her father.

"This is my little girl Diana," said Mrs. Barry. "Diana, you might take
Anne out into the garden and show her your flowers. It will be better
for you than straining your eyes over that book. She reads entirely
too much--" this to Marilla as the little girls went out--"and I can't
prevent her, for her father aids and abets her. She's always poring over
a book. I'm glad she has the prospect of a playmate--perhaps it will
take her more out-of-doors."

Outside in the garden, which was full of mellow sunset light streaming
through the dark old firs to the west of it, stood Anne and Diana,
gazing bashfully at each other over a clump of gorgeous tiger lilies.

The Barry garden was a bowery wilderness of flowers which would have
delighted Anne's heart at any time less fraught with destiny. It was
encircled by huge old willows and tall firs, beneath which flourished
flowers that loved the shade. Prim, right-angled paths neatly bordered
with clamshells, intersected it like moist red ribbons and in the beds
between old-fashioned flowers ran riot. There were rosy bleeding-hearts
and great splendid crimson peonies; white, fragrant narcissi and thorny,
sweet Scotch roses; pink and blue and white columbines and lilac-tinted
Bouncing Bets; clumps of southernwood and ribbon grass and mint; purple
Adam-and-Eve, daffodils, and masses of sweet clover white with its
delicate, fragrant, feathery sprays; scarlet lightning that shot
its fiery lances over prim white musk-flowers; a garden it was where
sunshine lingered and bees hummed, and winds, beguiled into loitering,
purred and rustled.

"Oh, Diana," said Anne at last, clasping her hands and speaking almost
in a whisper, "oh, do you think you can like me a little--enough to be
my bosom friend?"

Diana laughed. Diana always laughed before she spoke.

"Why, I guess so," she said frankly. "I'm awfully glad you've come to
live at Green Gables. It will be jolly to have somebody to play with.
There isn't any other girl who lives near enough to play with, and I've
no sisters big enough."

"Will you swear to be my friend forever and ever?" demanded Anne
eagerly.

Diana looked shocked.

"Why it's dreadfully wicked to swear," she said rebukin