>>5684336- I saw such a strange sight in the rail carriage today,
She murmurs, nestling your head upon her lap.
- I almost believed it to be a dream. There were these two young women - they looked very similar to each other; I said to myself: they must be sisters! - and they were sitting against the side of the train carriage compartment, by the open window, one quite drowsy, almost sleeping, and another lost in reading a little book.
I thought of them as the Dreaming Sister and the Dull Sister, and just then, the train rushed through a dark tunnel - there was a shrill whistle, and the carriage was basked in a red signal-light; black soot and smoke billowed in, blown from the funnel of the engine to the carriage window, the little casement sash that was ajar, and both the Dull Sister and the Dreaming Sister were jolted and quite startled!
They stared at each other astonished for a moment. For the black train smoke and soot had gotten onto the face of the Dull Sister - as if she had crawled and fallen from a chimney! - although the Dreaming Sister opposite her had escaped unblemished.
Yet for some reason it was the Dreaming Sister who was roused from her previous torpor, flummoxed as she was, and she began fumbling for a looking-glass, rummaging through her mirrored maquillage case to catch her own reflection - even though her face was quite clean and immaculate! - and the Diligent Sister resumed her reading, with her stained and dishevelled face, quite oblivious to her own sullied appearance as if nothing had happened! I wonder why that was! It seemed very ridiculous, and I had to suppress a little laugh; I could not help but think they were both quite stupid.
And at this recollection, she offers a little contented smile followed by a sigh. Her hand toys with a curling, stray lock of your hair.
>You think you know why the Two Sisters behaved as they did - suggest a reason why (write-in)>Reply: perhaps you fell asleep yourself, Dearest? It seems a very peculiar tale to me.>Reply: how daring for a lady to travel unchaperoned! You were quite fortunate to find a seat near these sisters, for there are always those impertinent strangers who might take advantage of a woman travelling alone. >This is a dream, your dream. You need to awaken yourself. But how?>You think you know the identity of The ODALISQUE. Who is she?>You think you know your own identity. Perhaps you played the QM's demented games before. Who could you be?>Something else? Write-in 