Lise’s room is a lovely room, done in pale yellows and blues. A large window lets in the dim light of this November day, making the faint colors even paler than they are. The room is tidy – all the hairbrushes and hairpins are lined up in their places – but something seems wrong all the same.
Perhaps what’s wrong are the four spots of blood on the carpet by the door, and a trail of drops leading to Lise’s chair by the window. Three maids are on their knees, scrubbing out the blood, at Madame K’s orders. Otherwise, the room is uninhabited.