“But Madame Corbeille now resides in the chicken-house.  What will become of her and her children?” cried Mother Meraut.

“Easy enough,” said Mademoiselle; “there is still room in your stable, is there not?  For example, there is the granary!  It will do excellently for the Corbeilles.  Pierre and Pierrette will help build the rabbit-hutch, I know, and there we are, all provided for!”

So it was arranged, and that afternoon another family came to live under the same roof with the Merauts.  Grandpere, with his new hammer and some nails, mended the chicken-house, and then helped Pierre and Pierrette build enclosures for the rabbits and pigs out of stones and rubble from the fallen walls.

At last the day came when all the creatures were to arrive, and Mademoiselle arranged that the Twins, Mother Meraut, and four of her own party of young women should go to the railroad station to get them.  The great truck was brought out, ropes were then thrown in, and all the people who composed what Mademoiselle called the “Reception Committee” climbed in and sat on the floor, while Mademoiselle and the Doctor occupied the driver’s seat.  The soldiers had done some work on the roads, so they were not as bad as they had been earlier in the spring; but they were still bad enough, and the people in the truck were bounced about like kernels of corn in a popper.

“Now,” said Mademoiselle, when they arrived at the station, “the fowls and the rabbits will have to go back in the truck.  That will be easy, for they came in crates; but the cows, the goats, and the pigs must be either led or driven.”

“It sounds simple enough,” said the Doctor, “but have any of you ever known any cows or pigs?  Do you know how to manage them?”

“I have an acquaintance with cows,” said Mother Meraut, “but to goats and pigs I am a stranger.”

“Very well,” said Mademoiselle, “Mother Meraut shall lead the way with the cows.  You, Kathleen and Louise,” she said, turning to two of the gray-uniformed girls, “you shall attend the goats.  Mary and Martha may tackle the pigs.  Pierre and Pierrette will serve excellently as short-stops in case any of our live-stock gets away, and the Doctor and I will bring up the rear.”

“It’s going to be a regular circus!” said Kathleen.  “I feel as if we ought to wear spangles and be led by a band.”

“We haven’t any clown, though,” said Martha.

“I shouldn’t wonder,” said Mary, “if we’d all look like clowns in this parade.”

The car with the creatures in it was standing on a side track, and the station agent, looking doubtfully at the girls, led the way to it, and after the rabbits and fowls had been loaded into the truck, placed a gangplank for the cows to walk down, and opened the door of the car.  But nothing happened; the cows obstinately refused to step down the plank.

“Here’s a rope,” said Mademoiselle, at last, throwing one up to the agent.  “I hoped we shouldn’t need it, but I guess we do.”