MRS. LINDE
Yes, I know all about that.
KROGSTAD
And in spite of that have you the courage to—?
MRS. LINDE
I understand very well to what lengths a man like you might be driven by despair.
KROGSTAD
If I could only undo what I have done!
MRS. LINDE
You cannot. Your letter is lying in the letter box now.
KROGSTAD
Are you sure of that?
MRS. LINDE
Quite sure, but—
KROGSTAD
(With a searching look at her.) Is that what it all means?—that you want to save your friend at any cost? Tell me frankly. Is that it?
MRS. LINDE
Nils, a woman who has once sold herself for another’s sake, doesn’t do it a second time.
KROGSTAD
I will ask for my letter back.
MRS. LINDE
No, no.
KROGSTAD
Yes, of course I will. I will wait here until Helmer comes; I will tell him he must give me my letter back—that it only concerns my dismissal—that he is not to read it—
MRS. LINDE
No, Nils, you must not recall your letter.
KROGSTAD
But, tell me, wasn’t it for that very purpose that you asked me to meet you here?
MRS. LINDE
In my first moment of fright, it was. But twenty-four hours have elapsed since then, and in that time I have witnessed incredible things in this house. Helmer must know all about it. This unhappy secret must be disclosed; they must have a complete understanding between them, which is impossible with all this concealment and falsehood going on.
KROGSTAD
Very well, if you will take the responsibility. But there is one thing I can do in any case, and I shall do it at once.
MRS. LINDE
(Listening.) You must be quick and go! The dance is over; we are not safe a moment longer.
KROGSTAD
I will wait for you below.
MRS. LINDE
Yes, do. You must see me back to my door . . .
KROGSTAD
I have never had such an amazing piece of good fortune in my life! (Goes out through the outer door. The door between the room and the hall remains open.)
MRS. LINDE
(Tidying up the room and laying her hat and cloak ready.) What a difference! What a difference! Someone to work for and live for—a home to bring comfort into. That I will do, indeed. I wish they would be quick and come—(Listens.) Ah, there they are now. I must put on my things. (Takes up her hat and cloak. HELMER’S and NORA’S voices are heard outside; a key is turned, and HELMER brings NORA almost by force into the hall. She is in an Italian costume with a large black shawl around her; he is in evening dress, and a black domino which is flying open.)
NORA
(Hanging back in the doorway, and struggling with him.) No, no, no!—don’t take me in. I want to go upstairs again; I don’t want to leave so early.
HELMER
But, my dearest Nora—
NORA
Please, Torvald dear—please, please—only an hour more.
HELMER
Not a single minute, my sweet Nora. You know that was our agreement. Come along into the room; you are catching cold standing there. (He brings her gently into the room, in spite of her resistance.)
MRS. LINDE
Good evening.
NORA
Christine!
HELMER
You are here, so late, Mrs. Linde?
MRS. LINDE
Yes, you must excuse me; I was so anxious to see Nora in her dress.
NORA
Have you been sitting here waiting for me?
MRS. LINDE
Yes, unfortunately I came too late, you had already gone upstairs; and I thought I couldn’t go away again without having seen you.
HELMER
(Taking off NORA’S shawl.) Yes, take a good look at her. I think she is worth looking at. Isn’t she charming, Mrs. Linde?
MRS. LINDE
Yes, indeed she is.
HELMER
Doesn’t she look remarkably pretty? Everyone thought so at the dance. But she is terribly self-willed, this sweet little person. What are we to do with her? You will hardly believe that I had almost to bring her away by force.
NORA
Torvald, you will repent not having let me stay, even if it were only for half an hour.
HELMER
Listen to her, Mrs. Linde! She had danced her Tarantella, and it had been a tremendous success, as it deserved—although possibly the performance was a trifle too realistic—a little more so, I mean, than was strictly compatible with the limitations of art. But never mind about that! The chief thing is, she had made a success—she had made a tremendous success. Do you think I was going to let her remain there after that, and spoil the effect? No, indeed! I took my charming little Capri maiden—my capricious little Capri maiden, I should say—on my arm; took one quick turn round the room; a curtsey on either side, and, as they say in novels, the beautiful apparition disappeared. An exit ought always to be effective, Mrs. Linde; but that is what I cannot make Nora understand. Pooh! this room is hot. (Throws his domino on a chair, and opens the door of his room.) Hullo! it’s all dark in here. Oh, of course—excuse me. (He goes in, and lights some candles.)
NORA
(In a hurried and breathless whisper.) Well?
MRS. LINDE
(In a low voice.) I have had a talk with him.
NORA
Yes, and—
MRS. LINDE
Nora, you must tell your husband all about it.
NORA
(In an expressionless voice.) I knew it.
MRS. LINDE
You have nothing to be afraid of as far as Krogstad is concerned; but you must tell him.
NORA
I won’t tell him.
MRS. LINDE
Then the letter will.
NORA
Thank you, Christine. Now I know what I must do. Hush—!
HELMER
(Coming in again.) Well, Mrs. Linde, have you admired her?
MRS. LINDE
Yes, and now I will say goodnight.
HELMER
What, already? Is this yours, this knitting?
MRS. LINDE
(Taking it.) Yes, thank you, I had very nearly forgotten it.
HELMER
So you knit?
MRS. LINDE
Of course.
HELMER
Do you know, you ought to embroider.
MRS. LINDE
Really? Why?
HELMER
Yes, it’s far more becoming. Let me show you. You hold the embroidery thus in your left hand, and use the needle with the right—like this—with a long, easy sweep. Do you see?
MRS. LINDE
Yes, perhaps—
HELMER
But in the case of knitting—that can never be anything but ungraceful; look here—the arms close together, the knitting-needles going up and down—it has a sort of Chinese effect. That was really excellent champagne they gave us.
MRS. LINDE
Well,—goodnight, Nora, and don’t be self-willed any more.
HELMER
That’s right, Mrs. Linde.
MRS. LINDE
Goodnight, Mr. Helmer.
HELMER
(Accompanying her to the door.) Goodnight, goodnight. I hope you will get home all right. I should be very happy to—but you haven’t any great distance to go. Goodnight, goodnight. (She goes out; he shuts the door after her, and comes in a
gain.) Ah!—at last we have got rid of her. She is a frightful bore, that woman.
NORA
Aren’t you very tired, Torvald?
HELMER
No, not in the least.
NORA
Nor sleepy?
HELMER
Not a bit. On the contrary, I feel extraordinarily lively. And you?—you really look both tired and sleepy.
NORA
Yes, I am very tired. I want to go to sleep at once.
HELMER
There, you see it was quite right of me not to let you stay there any longer.
NORA
Everything you do is quite right, Torvald.
HELMER
(Kissing her on the forehead.) Now my little skylark is speaking reasonably. Did you notice what good spirits Rank was in this evening?
NORA
Really? Was he? I didn’t speak to him at all.
HELMER
And I very little, but I have not for a long time seen him in such good form. (Looks for a while at her and then goes nearer to her.) It is delightful to be at home by ourselves again, to be all alone with you—you fascinating, charming little darling!
NORA
Don’t look at me like that, Torvald.
HELMER
Why shouldn’t I look at my dearest treasure?—at all the beauty that is mine, all my very own?
NORA
(Going to the other side of the table.) You mustn’t say things like that to me tonight.
HELMER
(Following her.) You have still got the Tarantella in your blood, I see. And it makes you more captivating than ever. Listen—the guests are beginning to go now. (In a lower voice.) Nora—soon the whole house will be quiet.
NORA
Yes, I hope so.
HELMER
Yes, my own darling Nora. Do you know, when I am out at a party with you like this, why I speak so little to you, keep away from you, and only send a stolen glance in your direction now and then?—do you know why I do that? It is because I make believe to myself that we are secretly in love, and you are my secretly promised bride, and that no one suspects there is anything between us.
NORA
Yes, yes—I know very well your thoughts are with me all the time.
HELMER
And when we are leaving, and I am putting the shawl over your beautiful young shoulders—on your lovely neck—then I imagine that you are my young bride and that we have just come from the wedding, and I am bringing you for the first time into our home—to be alone with you for the first time—quite alone with my shy little darling! All this evening I have longed for nothing but you. When I watched the seductive figures of the Tarantella, my blood was on fire; I could endure it no longer, and that was why I brought you down so early.
NORA
Go away, Torvald! You must let me go. I won’t—
HELMER
What’s that? You’re joking, my little Nora! You won’t—you won’t? Am I not your husband—? (A knock is heard at the outer door.)
NORA
(Starting.) Did you hear—?
HELMER
(Going into the hall.) Who is it?
RANK
(Outside.) It is I. May I come in for a moment?
HELMER
(In a fretful whisper.) Oh, what does he want now? (Aloud.) Wait a minute! (Unlocks the door.) Come, that’s kind of you not to pass by our door.
RANK
I thought I heard your voice, and felt as if I should like to look in. (With a swift glance round.) Ah, yes!—these dear familiar rooms. You are very happy and cozy in here, you two.
HELMER
It seems to me that you looked after yourself pretty well upstairs too.
RANK
Excellently. Why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t one enjoy everything in this world?—at any rate as much as one can, and as long as one can. The wine was capital—
HELMER
Especially the champagne.
RANK
So you noticed that too? It is almost incredible how much I managed to put away!
NORA
Torvald drank a great deal of champagne tonight too.
RANK
Did he?
NORA
Yes, and he is always in such good spirits afterwards.
RANK
Well, why should one not enjoy a merry evening after a well-spent day?
HELMER
Well spent? I am afraid I can’t take credit for that.
RANK
(Clapping him on the back.) But I can, you know!
NORA
Doctor Rank, you must have been occupied with some scientific investigation today.
RANK
Exactly.
HELMER
Just listen!—little Nora talking about scientific investigations!
NORA
And may I congratulate you on the result?
RANK
Indeed you may.
NORA
Was it favourable, then?
RANK
The best possible, for both doctor and patient—certainty.
NORA
(Quickly and searchingly.) Certainty?
RANK
Absolute certainty. So wasn’t I entitled to make a merry evening of it after that?
NORA
Yes, you certainly were, Doctor Rank. Helmer. I think so too, so long as you don’t have to pay for it in the morning.
RANK
Oh well, one can’t have anything in this life without paying for it.
NORA
Doctor Rank—are you fond of fancy-dress balls?
RANK
Yes, if there is a fine lot of pretty costumes.
NORA
Tell me—what shall we two wear at the next?
HELMER
Little featherbrain!—are you thinking of the next already?
RANK
We two? Yes, I can tell you. You shall go as a good fairy—
HELMER
Yes, but what do you suggest as an appropriate costume for that?
RANK
Let your wife go dressed just as she is in everyday life.
HELMER
That was really very prettily turned. But can’t you tell us what you will be?
RANK
Yes, my dear friend, I have quite made up my mind about that.
HELMER
Well?
RANK
At the next fancy-dress ball I shall be invisible.
HELMER
That’s a good joke!
RANK
There is a big black hat—have you never heard of hats that make you invisible? If you put one on, no one can see you.
HELMER
(Suppressing a smile.) Yes, you are quite right.
RANK
But I am clean forgetting what I came for. Helmer, give me a cigar—one of the dark Havanas.
HELMER
With the greatest pleasure. (Offers him his case.)
RANK
(Takes a cigar and cuts off the end.) Thanks.
NORA
(Striking a match.) Let me give you a light.
RANK
Thank you. (She holds the match for him to light his cigar.) And now goodbye!
HELMER
Goodbye, goodbye, dear old man!
NORA
Sleep well, Doctor Rank.
RANK
Thank you for that wish.
NORA
Wish me the same.
RANK
You? Well, if you want me to sleep well! And thanks for the light. (He nods to them both and goes out.)
HELMER
(In a subdued voice.) He has drunk more than he ought.
NORA
(Absently.) Maybe. (HELMER takes a bunch of keys out of his pocket and goes into the hall.) Torvald! what are you going to do there?
HELMER
Emptying the letter box; it is quite full; there will be no room to put the newspaper in tomorrow morning.
NORA
Are you going to work tonight?
HELMER
You know quite well I’m not. What is this? Someone has been at the lock.
NORA
At the lock—?
HELMER
Yes, someone has. What can it mean? I should never have thought the maid. . . . Here is a broken hairpin. Nora, it is one of yours.
NORA
(Quickly.) Then it must have been the children—
HELMER
Then you must get them out of those ways. There, at last I have got it open. (Takes out the contents of the letter box, and calls to the kitchen.) Helen!—Helen, put out the light over the front door. (Goes back into the room and shuts the door into the hall. He holds out his hand full of letters.) Look at that—look what a heap of them there are. (Turning them over.) What on earth is that?
NORA
(At the window.) The letter—No! Torvald, no!
HELMER
Two cards—of Rank’s.
NORA
Of Doctor Rank’s?
HELMER
(Looking at them.) Doctor Rank. They were on the top. He must have put them in when he went out.
NORA
Is there anything written on them?
HELMER
There is a black cross over the name. Look there—what an uncomfortable idea! It looks as if he were announcing his own death.
NORA
It is just what he is doing.
HELMER
What? Do you know anything about it? Has he said anything to you?
NORA
Yes. He told me that when the cards came it would be his leave-taking from us. He means to shut himself up and die.
HELMER
My poor old friend! Certainly I knew we should not have him very long with us. But so soon! And so he hides himself away like a wounded animal.
NORA
If it has to happen, it is best it should be without a word—don’t you think so, Torvald?
HELMER
(Walking up and down.) He had so grown into our lives. I can’t think of him as having gone out of them. He, with his sufferings and his loneliness, was like a cloudy background to our sunlit happiness. Well, perhaps it is best so. For him, anyway. (Standing still.) And perhaps for us too, Nora. We two are thrown quite upon each other now. (Puts his arms round her.) My darling wife, I don’t feel as if I could hold you tight enough. Do you know, Nora, I have often wished that you might be threatened by some great danger, so that I might risk my life’s blood, and everything, for your sake.
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