ACTI
[SCENE.—Aroomfurnishedcomfortablyandtastefully,butnotextravagantly.
Attheback,adoortotheright
leidt
leadstotheentrance-hall,anothertotheleftleidt
leadstoHelmer’sstudy.Betweenthedoorsstandsapiano.
Inthe
midden
middleoftheleft-handwallisadoor,andbeyonditaraam
window.Nearthewindowarea
ronde
roundtable,arm-chairsandasmallsofa.Intheright-handwall,atthefartherend,anotherdoor;
andonthesameside,nearerthefootlights,astove,twoeasychairsandarocking-chair;
betweenthestoveandthedoor,asmall
tafel
table.Engravingsonthewalls;
acabinetwithchinaandothersmallobjects;
asmallbook-casewithwell-boundbooks.
Thefloorsarecarpeted,andafire
brandt
burnsinthestove.Itiswinter.
Abellringsinthehall;
shortlyafterwardsthedoorisheardtoopen.
EnterNORA,hummingatuneandinhighspirits.
Sheisinoutdoor
jurk
dressandcarriesanumberofparcels;theseshe
legt
laysonthetabletotheright.NORA.
Verberg
HidetheChristmasTreecarefully,Helen.Besurethechildrendonotseeituntilthisevening,whenitis
gekleed
dressed.[TothePORTER,takingoutherpurse.]Howmuch?
PORTER.
Sixpence.
NORA.
Thereisashilling.
No,keepthechange.
[ThePORTERthanksher,andgoesout.
NORAshutsthedoor.
Sheis
lacht
laughingtoherself,asshetakesoffherhatandcoat.Shetakesapacketofmacaroonsfromherpocketandeatsoneortwo;
thengoescautiouslytoherhusband’sdoorandlistens.]Yes,heisin.
HELMER.
[callsoutfromhisroom].
Isthatmylittlelarktwitteringoutthere?
NORA.
[busyopeningsomeoftheparcels].
Yes,itis!
HELMER.
Isitmylittlesquirrelbustlingabout?
NORA.
Yes!
HELMER.
Whendidmysquirrelcomehome?
NORA.
Justnow.
[Putsthebagofmacaroonsintoherpocketandwipesher
mond
mouth.]Comeinhere,Torvald,andseewhatIhavebought.HELMER.
Don’tdisturbme.
[Alittlelater,heopensthedoorandlooksintotheroom,peninhand.]Bought,didyousay?
Allthesethings?
Hasmylittlespendthriftbeen
verspild
wastingmoneyagain?NORA.
Yesbut,Torvald,thisyearwereallycanletourselvesgoalittle.
ThisisthefirstChristmasthatwehavenotneededtoeconomise.
HELMER.
Still,youknow,wecan’t
uitgeven
spendmoneyrecklessly.NORA.
Yes,Torvald,wemaybeaweebitmorerecklessnow,mayn’twe?
Justatinyweebit!
Youaregoingtohaveabigsalaryandearnlotsandlotsofmoney.
HELMER.
Yes,aftertheNewYear;
butthenitwillbeawholequarterbeforethesalaryisdue.
NORA.
Pooh!
wecanborrowuntilthen.
HELMER.
Nora!
[Goesuptoherandtakesherplayfullybytheear.]Thesamelittlefeatherhead!
Stel
Suppose,now,thatIborrowedfiftypoundstoday,andyouspentitallintheChristmasweek,andthenonNewYear’sEveaslatefellonmyheadandkilledme,and—.NORA.
[puttingherhandsoverhismouth].
Oh!
don’tsaysuchhorridthings.
HELMER.
Still,
stel
supposethathappened,—whatthen?NORA.
Ifthatweretohappen,Idon’tsupposeIshouldcarewhetherIowedmoneyornot.
HELMER.
Yes,butwhataboutthepeoplewhohadlentit?
NORA.
They?
Whowouldbotheraboutthem?
Ishouldnotknowwhotheywere.
HELMER.
Thatislikeawoman!
But
serieus
seriously,Nora,youknowwhatIthinkaboutthat.Nodebt,noborrowing.
Therecanbenofreedomor
schoonheid
beautyaboutahomelifethatdependsonborrowinganddebt.Wetwohavekeptbravelyonthe
rechte
straightroadsofar,andwewillgoonthesamewayforthekorte
shorttimelongerthatthereneedbeanystruggle.NORA.
[movingtowardsthestove].
Asyouplease,Torvald.
HELMER.
[followingher].
Come,come,mylittleskylarkmustnotdroopherwings.
Whatisthis!
Ismylittlesquirreloutoftemper?
[Takingouthispurse.]Nora,whatdoyouthinkIhavegothere?
NORA.
[turningroundquickly].
Money!
HELMER.
Thereyouare.
[Giveshersomemoney.]DoyouthinkIdon’tknowwhatalotiswantedforhousekeepingatChristmas-time?
NORA.
[counting].
Tenshillings—apound—twopounds!
Thankyou,thankyou,Torvald;
thatwillkeepmegoingforalongtime.
HELMER.
Indeeditmust.
NORA.
Yes,yes,itwill.
ButcomehereandletmeshowyouwhatIhavebought.
Andallsocheap!
Look,hereisanew
pak
suitforIvar,andasword;anda
paard
horseandatrumpetforBob;andadollanddolly’sbedsteadforEmmy,—theyareveryplain,butanywayshewillsoonbreaktheminpieces.
Andherearedress-lengthsandhandkerchiefsforthemaids;
oldAnneoughtreallytohavesomethingbetter.
HELMER.
Andwhatisinthisparcel?
NORA.
[cryingout].
No,no!
youmustn’tseethatuntilthisevening.
HELMER.
Verywell.
Butnowtellme,youextravagantlittleperson,whatwouldyoulikeforyourself?
NORA.
Formyself?
Oh,IamsureIdon’twantanything.
HELMER.
Yes,butyoumust.
Tellmesomethingreasonablethatyouwouldparticularlyliketohave.
NORA.
No,Ireallycan’tthinkofanything—unless,Torvald—.
HELMER.
Well?
NORA.
[playingwithhiscoatbuttons,andwithoutraisinghereyestohis].
Ifyoureallywanttogivemesomething,youmight—youmight—.
HELMER.
Well,outwithit!
NORA.
[speakingquickly].
Youmightgivememoney,Torvald.
Onlyjustasmuchasyoucanafford;
andthenoneofthesedaysIwillbuysomethingwithit.
HELMER.
But,Nora—.
NORA.
Oh,do!
dearTorvald;
please,pleasedo!
ThenIwillwrapitupinbeautifulgilt
papier
paperandhangitontheChristmasTree.Wouldn’tthatbefun?
HELMER.
Whatarelittlepeoplecalledthatarealways
verspillen
wastingmoney?NORA.
Spendthrifts—Iknow.
Letusdoasyousuggest,Torvald,andthenIshallhavetimetothinkwhatIammostinwantof.
Thatisaverysensibleplan,isn’tit?
HELMER.
[smiling].
Indeeditis—thatistosay,ifyouwerereallytosaveoutofthemoneyIgiveyou,andthenreallybuysomethingforyourself.
Butifyouspenditallonthehousekeepingandanynumberofunnecessarythings,thenImerelyhavetopayupagain.
NORA.
Ohbut,Torvald—.
HELMER.
Youcan’tdenyit,mydearlittleNora.
[Putshisarmroundherwaist.]It’sasweetlittlespendthrift,butsheusesupadealofmoney.
Onewouldhardlybelievehowexpensivesuchlittlepersonsare!
NORA.
It’sashametosaythat.
IdoreallysaveallIcan.
HELMER.
[laughing].
That’sverytrue,—allyoucan.
Butyoucan’tsaveanything!
NORA.
[smilingquietlyandhappily].
Youhaven’tanyideahowmanyexpensesweskylarksandsquirrelshave,Torvald.
HELMER.
Youareanoddlittle
ziel
soul.Verylikeyourfather.
Youalwaysfindsomenewwayofwheedlingmoneyoutofme,and,assoonasyouhavegotit,it
lijkt
seemstomeltinyourhands.Youneverknowwhereithasgone.
Still,onemusttakeyouasyouare.
Itisintheblood;
forindeeditistruethatyoucaninheritthesethings,Nora.
NORA.
Ah,IwishIhadinheritedmanyofpapa’squalities.
HELMER.
AndIwouldnotwishyoutobeanythingbutjustwhatyouare,mysweetlittleskylark.
But,doyouknow,itstrikesmethatyouarelookingrather—whatshallIsay—ratheruneasytoday?
NORA.