Anna stooped and picked up one of Betty’s discarded gray stockings.  For once Betty’s untidiness served them a good turn.  Seeing the stockings on the floor, it never occurred to Aunt Pike but that they had both undressed and got into bed in the usual fashion.  The first thing, though, that caught Anna’s eye was the red bow in Kitty’s hair.

“I—­I didn’t know—­” she began, then glanced quickly at Betty’s head, where the blue bow showed up against the pillow, but instead of remarking on it she suddenly grew silent.  Kitty marvelled, for she had remembered their hair ribbons almost at the same moment as Anna had caught sight of them, and it was all she could do not to put up her hand and grab hers off.  With the remembrance she almost gave up hope of escaping detection, and wished devoutly that they had stayed downstairs and faced the consequences; for to be found out now, hiding in bed in this fashion, made a discreditable matter of what was really not a very bad one.  But, to her increasing amazement, Anna said nothing, not even when Aunt Pike said, “I must speak to Katherine in the morning.  She has either neglected to brush her hair at all, or she is very extravagant in tying it up for the night with a good piece of ribbon.  Now come away, darling; it is quite time you were in bed.  I am sure you must be quite exhausted.  You know I did tell you I thought you would not be able to show them your prize to-night.”

“Prize!” gasped Betty, sitting up in bed as soon as ever their visitors’ backs were turned.  “Has she really got a prize?  I didn’t think it could be true when Aunt Pike said she would get one.  Anyhow, I wonder she isn’t ashamed to show it, for she knows it would have been yours if she hadn’t behaved so disgustingly.  But Anna is never ashamed of what she does, no matter how bad it is.”

“Oh yes, she is,” said Kitty thoughtfully.  “I think she is dreadfully ashamed sometimes of some things, and very sorry.”

“Then why doesn’t she say so?” snapped Betty crossly.

“I believe she doesn’t know how to.  She is shy, or—­or something; but I do believe she would like to be able to.”  And she thought of the abject way in which Anna had followed her about for days after that affair at Hillside, and had tried to do things for her; and in her heart she knew that it was Anna’s curious way of expressing her gratitude to her for not exposing her meanness.  “I believe,” she went on musingly, “that if she could undo all that—­that fuss in any other way than by owning up, that she would; but there isn’t any other way, and she hasn’t got pluck enough to do it in the right one.  I believe she would rather die than have Aunt Pike know how she behaved.  Oh dear, I do wish I hadn’t to get up again and undress.”

“So do I,” agreed Betty.  “I really can’t brush my hair to-night, I am so sleepy.”

“I wouldn’t,” said Kitty, who had a little habit of saying the most comfortable thing.  “Give it an extra brushing to-morrow; that will do.”