And at length they met with exactly what suited them, a large room with a small closet and a kitchen, in the Rue Neuve de la Goutte-d'Or, almost opposite the laundress's.

This was in a small two-story building with a very steep staircase.

There were two apartments on the second floor, one to the left, the other to the right, The ground floor was occupied by a man who rented out carriages, which filled the sheds in the large stable yard by the street.
Gervaise was delighted with this as it made her feel she was back in a country town.

With no close neighbors there would be no gossip to worry about in this little corner.

It reminded her of a small lane outside the ramparts of Plassans.