about six o'clock in the evening
Poor darlings . In a wicker-basket she covered a layer of straw with another of wadding and fine down . Upon this she put the ducklings one by one , and covered the whole with feathers ; then closing the lid , she carried the basket to the stable where the air was always nice and warm . All this took time ; it was about six o'clock in the evening , the sun was going down , throwing a last oblique smile into the kitchen , gleaming here and there on the shining copper which hung on the walls . As for Germaine , she , with Petit-Jacques to help her , had gone to milk the cows . Mother Etienne soon joined them , and the two women came back to the house together . Horror of horrors !