A new minister and his wife have come to Avonlea, and all the people in town are talking about them. Marilla listens to Anne’s evaluation of both the old minister who is leaving and the new one who has just arrived. The new minister is a newlywed, and his wife has been assigned to teach Sunday school classes. The minister’s wife has thrilled Anne most of all.

Anne tells Marilla that the old Sunday school teacher asked all the questions and never allowed any of the students to ask their own. However, Mrs. Allan, the new teacher, has said that she does not think it fair to keep children from asking questions, so she invites them to pose any question they like. When Ruby Gillis heard this, she asked if there would still be a church picnic come summer. Mrs. Allan was nice enough, Anne tells Marilla, to answer Ruby’s question, though Anne did not think Ruby’s inquiry was appropriate because the picnic had nothing to do with the lesson they were learning.

Anne describes Mrs. Allan to Marilla, stating that the minister’s young wife has the most exquisite dimples she has ever seen. Anne wishes she had dimples, too. Mrs. Allan also impressed the children in her class to try to influence people for good. Anne claims that Mrs. Allan talked so very nicely about everything that it made Ann realize for the first time that religion could be a “cheerful” thing. Previously, Anne thought all people involved in a church were rather melancholic.

With so much talk about the minister and his wife, Marilla decides it would be proper for her to invite the couple to dinner. She knows that almost everyone else has had Mr. and Mrs. Allan to their homes already. However, Marilla makes Anne promise not to tell Matthew about the invitation. If Matthew knew in advance, he would find some excuse to be away from home. Matthew has trouble meeting new people, Marilla tells Anne, especially women.

Upon hearing that Marilla is planning a dinner, Anne asks that she be allowed to make the dessert. She would like to bake a cake, she says. Marilla gives her consent. For much of the morning before the dinner for Mr. and Mrs. Allan, Anne is busy preparing her dessert. She is worried most about the cake rising. As Anne brings the cake out of the oven, she sees how tall the layers have risen and feels much impressed with herself.

After dinner, Anne proudly carries the cake to the table. When Mrs. Allan declines to have a piece, Marilla notices the disappointment on Anne’s face, so she tells Mrs. Allan that she must taste it because Anne made the cake especially for her. Mrs. Allan gives in, but after she places a piece of the cake in her mouth, she has a very peculiar look on her face. Mrs. Allan does not say a word and proceeds to chew and then swallow the mouthful of cake. Then Marilla takes a bite to see what is wrong with it. After tasting it, Marilla asks Anne what she put into the cake. “It’s horrible,” Marilla says. Anne goes over all the ingredients she used; when she mentions vanilla, Marilla insists that Anne go and retrieve the bottle. Marilla smells it and then remembers that she had used that bottle to store Anodyne Liniment when the bottle for the lotion had broken.