by Henrik Ibsen
KROGSTAD: How will you be able to prevent it? Am I to understand that you can pay the balance that is owing?
NORA: No, not just at present.
KROGSTAD: Or perhaps that you have some expedient for raising the money soon?
NORA: No expedient that I mean to make use of.
KROGSTAD: Well, in any case, it would have been of no use to you now. If you stood there with ever so much money in your hand, I would never part with your bond.
NORA: Tell me what purpose you mean to put it to.
KROGSTAD: I shall only preserve it—keep it in my possession. No one who is not concerned in the matter shall have the slightest hint of it. So that if the thought of it has driven you to any desperate resolution—
NORA: It has.
KROGSTAD: If you had it in your mind to run away from your home—
NORA: I had.
KROGSTAD: Or even something worse—
NORA: How could you know that?
KROGSTAD: Give up the idea.
NORA: How did you know I had thought of that?
KROGSTAD: Most of us think of that at first. I did, too—but I hadn’t the courage.
NORA: [Faintly.] No more had I.
KROGSTAD: [In a tone of relief.] No, that’s it, isn’t it—you hadn’t the courage either?
NORA: No, I haven’t—I haven’t.
KROGSTAD: Besides, it would have been a great piece of folly. Once the first storm at home is over—. I have a letter for your husband in my pocket.
NORA: Telling him everything?
KROGSTAD: In as lenient a manner as I possibly could.
NORA: [Quickly.] He mustn’t get the letter. Tear it up. I will find some means of getting money.
KROGSTAD: Excuse me, Mrs Helmer, but I think I told you just now—
NORA: I am not speaking of what I owe you. Tell me what sum you are asking my husband for, and I will get the money.
KROGSTAD: I am not asking your husband for a penny.
NORA: What do you want, then?
KROGSTAD: I will tell you. I want to rehabilitate myself, Mrs Helmer; I want to get on; and in that your husband must help me. For the last year and a half I have not had a hand in anything dishonourable, amid all that time I have been struggling in most restricted circumstances. I was content to work my way up step by step. Now I am turned out, and I am not going to be satisfied with merely being taken into favour again. I want to get on, I tell you. I want to get into the bank again, in a higher position. Your husband must make a place for me—
NORA: That he will never do!
KROGSTAD: He will; I know him; he dare not protest. And as soon as I am in there again with him, then you will see! Within a year I shall be the manager’s right hand. It will be Nils Krogstad and not Torvald Helmer who manages the bank.
NORA: That’s a thing you will never see!
KROGSTAD: Do you mean that you will—?
NORA: I have courage enough for it now.
KROGSTAD: Oh, you can’t frighten me. A fine, spoilt lady like you—
NORA: You will see, you will see.
KROGSTAD: Under the ice, perhaps? Down into the cold, coal-black water? And then, in the spring, to float up to the surface, all horrible and unrecognisable, with your hair fallen out—
NORA: You can’t frighten me.
KROGSTAD: Nor you me. People don’t do such things, Mrs Helmer. Besides, what use would it be? I should have him completely in my power all the same.
NORA: Afterwards? When I am no longer—
KROGSTAD: Have you forgotten that it is I who have the keeping of your reputation? [NORA stands speechlessly looking at him.] Well, now, I have warned you. Do not do anything foolish. When Helmer has had my letter, I shall expect a message from him. And be sure you remember that it is your husband himself who has forced me into such ways as this again. I will never forgive him for that. Goodbye, Mrs Helmer. [Exit through the hall.]
NORA: [Goes to the hall door, opens it slightly and listens.] He is going. He is not putting the letter in the box. Oh no, no! That’s impossible! [Opens the door by degrees.] What is that? He is standing outside. He is not going downstairs. Is he hesitating? Can he—? [A letter drops into the box; then KROGSTAD’S footsteps are heard, until they die away as he goes downstairs. NORA utters a stifled cry, and runs across the room to the table by the sofa. A short pause.]
NORA: In the letter-box. [Steals across to the hall door.] There it lies—Torvald, Torvald, there is no hope for us now!
[MRS LINDE comes in from the room on the left, carrying the dress.]
MRS LINDE: There, I can’t see anything more to mend now. Would you like to try it on—?
NORA: [In a hoarse whisper.] Christine, come here.
MRS LINDE: [Throwing the dress down on the sofa.] What is the matter with you? You look so agitated!
NORA: Come here. Do you see that letter? There, look—you can see it through the glass in the letter-box.
MRS LINDE: Yes, I see it.
NORA: That letter is from Krogstad.
MRS LINDE: Nora—it was Krogstad who lent you the money!
NORA: Yes, and now Torvald will know all about it.
MRS LINDE: Believe me, Nora, that’s the best thing for both of you.
NORA: You don’t know all. I forged a name.
MRS LINDE: Good heavens—!
NORA: I only want to say this to you, Christine—you must be my witness.
MRS LINDE: Your witness? What do you mean? What am I to—?
NORA: If I should go out of my mind—and it might easily happen—
MRS LINDE: Nora!
NORA: Or if anything else should happen to me—anything, for instance, that might prevent my being here—
MRS LINDE: Nora! Nora! You are quite out of your mind.
NORA: And if it should happen that there were someone who wanted to take all the responsibility, all the blame, you understand—
MRS LINDE: Yes, yes—but how can you suppose—?
NORA: Then you must be my witness, that it is not true, Christine. I am not out of my mind at all; I am in my right senses now, and I tell you no one else has known anything about it; I, and I alone, did the whole thing. Remember that.
MRS LINDE: I will, indeed. But I don’t understand all this.
NORA: How should you understand it? A wonderful thing is going to happen!
MRS LINDE: A wonderful thing?
NORA: Yes, a wonderful thing!—But it is so terrible, Christine; it mustn’t happen, not for all the world.
MRS LINDE: I will go at once and see Krogstad.
NORA: Don’t go to him; he will do you some harm.
MRS LINDE: There was a time when he would gladly do anything for my sake.
NORA: He?
MRS LINDE: Where does he live?
NORA: How should I know—? Yes [feeling in her pocket] here is his card. But the letter, the letter—!
HELMER: [Calls from his room, knocking at the door.] Nora! Nora [Cries out anxiously]. Oh, what’s that? What do you want?
HELMER: Don’t be so frightened. We are not coming in; you have locked the door. Are you trying on your dress?
NORA: Yes, that’s it. I look so nice, Torvald.
MRS LINDE: [Who has read the card.] I see he lives at the corner here.
NORA: Yes, but it’s no use. It is hopeless. The letter is lying there in the box.
MRS LINDE: And your husband keeps the key?
NORA: Yes, always.
MRS LINDE: Krogstad must ask for his letter back unread, he must find some pretence—
NORA: But it is just at this time that Torvald generally—
MRS LINDE: You must delay him. Go in to him in the meantime. I will come back as soon as I can. [She goes out hurriedly through the hall door.]
NORA: [Goes to HELMER’S door, opens it and peeps in.] Torvald!
HELMER: [From the inner room.] Well? May I venture at last to come into my own room again? Come along, Rank, now you will see— [Halting in the doorway.] But what is this?
NORA: What is what, dear?
HELMER: Rank led me to expect a splendid transformation.
RANK: [In the doorway.] I understood so, but evidently I was mistaken.
NORA: Yes, nobody is to have the chance of admiring me in my dress until tomorrow.
HELMER: But, my dear Nora, you look so worn out. Have you been practising too much?
NORA: No, I have not practised at all.
HELMER: But you will need to—
NORA: Yes, indeed I shall, Torvald. But I can’t get on a bit without you to help me; I have absolutely forgotten the whole thing.
HELMER: Oh, we will soon work it up again.
NORA: Yes, help me, Torvald. Promise that you will! I am so nervous about it—all the people—. You must give yourself up to me entirely this evening. Not the tiniest bit of business—you mustn’t even take a pen in your hand. Will you promise, Torvald dear?
HELMER: I promise. This evening I will be wholly and absolutely at your service, you helpless little mortal. Ah, by the way, first of all I will just— [Goes towards the hall door.]
NORA: What are you going to do there?
HELMER: Only see if any letters have come.
NORA: No, no! Don’t do that, Torvald!
HELMER: Why not?
NORA: Torvald, please don’t. There is nothing there.
HELMER: Well, let me look. [Turns to go to the letter-box. NORA, at the piano, plays the first bars of the Tarantella. HELMER stops in the doorway.] Aha!
NORA: I can’t dance tomorrow if I don’t practise with you.
HELMER: [Going up to her.] Are you really so afraid of it, dear?
NORA: Yes, so dreadfully afraid of it. Let me practise at once; there is time now, before we go to dinner. Sit down and play for me, Torvald dear; criticise me, and correct me as you play.
HELMER: With great pleasure, if you wish me to. [Sits down at the piano.]
NORA: [Takes out of the box a tambourine and a long variegated shawl. She hastily drapes the shawl around her. Then she springs to the front of the stage and calls out.] Now play for me! I am going to dance!
[HELMER plays and NORA dances. RANK stands by the piano behind HELMER, and looks on.]
HELMER: [As he plays.] Slower, slower!
NORA: I can’t do it any other way.
HELMER: Not so violently, Nora!
NORA: This is the way.
HELMER: [Stops playing.] No, no—that is not a bit right.
NORA: [Laughing and swinging the tambourine.] Didn’t I tell you so?
RANK: Let me play for her.
HELMER: [Getting up.] Yes, do. I can correct her better then.
[RANK sits down at the piano and plays. NORA dances more and more wildly. HELMER has taken up a position beside the stove, and during her dance gives her frequent instructions. She does not seem to hear him; her hair comes down and falls over her shoulders; she pays no attention to it, but goes on dancing. Enter MRS LINDE.]
MRS LINDE: [Standing as if spell-bound in the doorway.] Oh!—
NORA: [As she dances.] Such fun, Christine!
HELMER: My dear darling Nora, you are dancing as if your life depended on it.
NORA: So it does.
HELMER: Stop, Rank; this is sheer madness. Stop, I tell you! [RANK stops playing, and NORA suddenly stands still. HELMER goes up to her.] I could never have believed it. You have forgotten everything I taught you.
NORA: [Throwing away the tambourine.] There, you see.
HELMER: You will want a lot of coaching.
NORA: Yes, you see how much I need it. You must coach me up to the last minute. Promise me that, Torvald!
HELMER: You can depend on me.
NORA: You must not think of anything but me, either today or tomorrow; you mustn’t open a single letter—not even open the letter-box—
HELMER: Ah, you are still afraid of that fellow—
NORA: Yes, indeed I am.
HELMER: Nora, I can tell from your looks that there is a letter from him lying there.
NORA: I don’t know; I think there is; but you must not read anything of that kind now. Nothing horrid must come between us until this is all over.
RANK: [Whispers to HELMER.] You mustn’t contradict her.
HELMER: [Taking her in his arms.] The child shall have her way. But tomorrow night, after you have danced—
NORA: Then you will be free. [The MAID appears in the doorway to the right.]
MAID: Dinner is served, ma’am.
NORA: We will have champagne, Helen.
MAID: Very good, ma’am. [Exit.]
HELMER: Hullo!—are we going to have a banquet?
NORA: Yes, a champagne banquet until the small hours. [Calls out.] And a few macaroons, Helen—lots, just for once!
HELMER: Come, come, don’t be so wild and nervous. Be my own little skylark, as you used.
NORA: Yes, dear, I will. But go in now and you too, Doctor Rank. Christine, you must help me to do up my hair.
RANK: [Whispers to HELMER as they go out.] I suppose there is nothing—she is not expecting anything?
HELMER: Far from it, my dear fellow; it is simply nothing more than this childish nervousness I was telling you of. [They go into the right-hand room.]
NORA: Well!
MRS LINDE: Gone out of town.
NORA: I could tell from your face.
MRS LINDE: He is coming home tomorrow evening. I wrote a note for him.
NORA: You should have let it alone; you must prevent nothing. After all, it is splendid to be waiting for a wonderful thing to happen.
MRS LINDE: What is it that you are waiting for?
NORA: Oh, you wouldn’t understand. Go in to them, I will come in a moment. [MRS LINDE goes into the dining-room. NORA stands still for a little while, as if to compose herself. Then she looks at her watch.] Five o’clock. Seven hours until midnight; and then four-and-twenty hours until the next midnight. Then the Tarantella will be over. Twenty-four and seven? Thirty-one hours to live.
HELMER: [From the doorway on the right.] Where’s my little skylark?
NORA: [Going to him with her arms outstretched.] Here she is!
ACT III
[THE SAME SCENE—The table has been placed in the middle of the stage, with chairs around it. A lamp is burning on the table. The door into the hall stands open. Dance music is heard in the room above. MRS LINDE is sitting at the table idly turning over the leaves of a book; she tries to read, but does not seem able to collect her thoughts. Every now and then she listens intently for a sound at the outer door.]
MRS LINDE: [Looking at her watch.] Not yet—and the time is nearly up. If only he does not—. [Listens again.] Ah, there he is. [Goes into the hall and opens the outer door carefully. Light footsteps are heard on the stairs. She whispers.] Come in. There is no one here.
KROGSTAD: [In the doorway.] I found a note from you at home. What does this mean?
MRS LINDE: It is absolutely necessary that I should have a talk with you.
KROGSTAD: Really? And is it absolutely necessary that it should be here?
MRS LINDE: It is impossible where I live; there is no private entrance to my rooms. Come in; we are quite alone. The maid is asleep, and the Helmers are at the dance upstairs.
KROGSTAD: [Coming into the room.] Are the Helmers really at a dance tonight?
MRS LINDE: Yes, why not?
KROGSTAD: Certainly—why not?
MRS LINDE: Now, Nils, let us have a talk.
KROGSTAD: Can we two have anything to talk about?
&n
bsp; MRS LINDE: We have a great deal to talk about.
KROGSTAD: I shouldn’t have thought so.
MRS LINDE: No, you have never properly understood me.
KROGSTAD: Was there anything else to understand except what was obvious to all the world—a heartless woman jilts a man when a more lucrative chance turns up?
MRS LINDE: Do you believe I am as absolutely heartless as all that? And do you believe that I did it with a light heart?
KROGSTAD: Didn’t you?
MRS LINDE: Nils, did you really think that?
KROGSTAD: If it were as you say, why did you write to me as you did at the time?
MRS LINDE: I could do nothing else. As I had to break with you, it was my duty also to put an end to all that you felt for me.
KROGSTAD: [Wringing his hands.] So that was it. And all this—only for the sake of money!
MRS LINDE: You must not forget that I had a helpless mother and two little brothers. We couldn’t wait for you, Nils; your prospects seemed hopeless then.
KROGSTAD: That may be so, but you had no right to throw me over for anyone else’s sake.
MRS LINDE: Indeed I don’t know. Many a time did I ask myself if I had the right to do it.
KROGSTAD: [More gently.] When I lost you, it was as if all the solid ground went from under my feet. Look at me now—I am a shipwrecked man clinging to a bit of wreckage.
MRS LINDE: But help may be near.
KROGSTAD: It was near; but then you came and stood in my way.
MRS LINDE: Unintentionally, Nils. It was only today that I learned it was your place I was going to take in the bank.
KROGSTAD: I believe you, if you say so. But now that you know it, are you not going to give it up to me?
MRS LINDE: No, because that would not benefit you in the least.
KROGSTAD: Oh, benefit, benefit—I would have done it whether or no.
MRS LINDE: I have learned to act prudently. Life, and hard, bitter necessity have taught me that.
KROGSTAD: And life has taught me not to believe in fine speeches.
MRS LINDE: Then life has taught you something very reasonable. But deeds you must believe in?
KROGSTAD: What do you mean by that?
MRS LINDE: You said you were like a shipwrecked man clinging to some wreckage.
