She says they 're sure to do that . She never knew it to fail in a single case . '' `` I do n't believe Miss West would EVER try to do that , '' cried Faith . `` Mary says ANYBODY would . She knows ALL about stepmothers , Faith -- she says she 's seen hundreds of them -- and you 've never seen one . Oh , Mary has told me blood-curdling things about them . She says she knew of one who whipped her husband 's little girls on their bare shoulders till they bled , and then shut them up in a cold , dark coal cellar all night . She says they 're ALL aching to do things like that . '' `` I do n't believe Miss West would . You do n't know her as well as I do , Una . Just think of that sweet little bird she sent me . I love it far more even than Adam . '' `` It 's just being a stepmother changes them . Mary says they ca n't help it . I would n't mind the whippings so much as having father hate us . '' `` You know nothing could make father hate us . Do n't be silly , Una . I dare say there 's nothing to worry over . Likely if we run our club right and bring ourselves up properly father wo n't think of marrying any one . And if he does , I KNOW Miss West will be lovely to us . ''
But Una had no such conviction and she cried herself XXXXX sleep .
about as if in like of on than till to