All this reminds me of something my mother told me once. I have two brothers, one five and one six years older than I. When my next older brother was about six, he was still wetting the bed for whatever reasons - my mother thinks it's because the oldest one had been so easy to potty train and early, so they made the mistake of forcing it on the next one before he was really ready. Anyway, one night my mother was out at a PTA meeting kind of late-ish while my dad was watching the three of us. There was a lot of tension and trouble in their marriage for a variety of reasons leading up to this, mind you. But apparently my brother awoke at about 9:30 p.m., his pajamas and bed soaked. He started crying about it, being half asleep and uncomfortable as hell. Well, my dad apparently went to his room, saw all this, and proceeded to start spanking the living daylights out of him. My mother walked in on this. After the dust settled, she said very calmly to him, "You can stay the night. But in the morning, I want you and your things gone. You're taking it out on the kids, now, and I won't allow that." This was 1967.
So as to the discussion at hand, I don't imagine Mrs. Twist knew. As subservient as a woman in her position was supposed to be in that time and place, I just don't see her allowing it.
