While seeing her to the door, Virginie promised to return the visit.

And she would have Gervaise do her laundry.
While Virginie was keeping her in further conversation on the landing, Gervaise had the feeling that she wanted to say something about Lantier and her sister Adele, and this notion upset her a bit.

But not a word was uttered respecting those unpleasant things; they parted, wishing each other good-bye in a very amiable manner.
"Good-bye, Madame Coupeau." "Good-bye, Madame Poisson." That was the starting point of a great friendship.

A week later, Virginie never passed Gervaise's shop without going in; and she remained there gossiping for hours together, to such an extent indeed that Poisson, filled with anxiety, fearing she had been run over, would come and seek her with his expressionless and death-like countenance.

Now that she was seeing the dressmaker every day Gervaise became aware of a strange obsession.