But next minute her conscience pricked her.

She had no right to a present.

True, Katie ought to have known better than to try to swim; still, as Dotty acknowledged,-- "I needn't have felt so sober, I s'pose, and then I should have taken care of her." Dotty was learning to pay heed to these little pricks of conscience.
Slowly and sadly she walked back to her Aunt Maria, who was standing on the piazza training the clematis.
"I s'pose, auntie, you thought I took care of the baby; but I didn't.

I let her swim.

Miss Polly said _she_ had the 'blues,' and so did I." Aunt Maria smiled.