ACTI
[SCENE.—Aroomfurnishedcomfortably
und
andtastefully,butnotextravagantly.Attheback,
eine
adoortotherightleadstotheentrance-hall,anothertotheleftleadstoHelmer’sstudy.Zwischen
Betweenthedoorsstandsapiano.In
der
themiddleoftheleft-handwallisadoor,und
andbeyonditawindow.Near
der
thewindowarearoundtable,arm-chairsund
andasmallsofa.In
der
theright-handwall,atthefartherende
end,anotherdoor;andon
den
thesameside,nearerthefootlights,ein
astove,twoeasychairsund
andarocking-chair;betweenthestove
und
andthedoor,asmalltable.Engravingson
den
thewalls;acabinetwithchina
und
andothersmallobjects;asmallbook-casewithwell-boundbooks.
Die
Thefloorsarecarpeted,andein
afireburnsinthestove.Itiswinter.
Eine
Abellringsinthehall;shortlyafterwards
die
thedoorisheardtoöffnet
open.EnterNORA,hummingatune
und
andinhighspirits.Sheisinoutdoordress
und
andcarriesanumberofparcels;theseshelayson
den
thetabletotheright.NORA.
Hide
den
theChristmasTreecarefully,Helen.Be
sicher
surethechildrendonotsehen
seeituntilthisevening,wenn
whenitisdressed.[To
die
thePORTER,takingoutherpurse.]Howviel
much?PORTER.
Sixpence.
NORA.
Thereisashilling.
Nein
No,keepthechange.[ThePORTER
dankt
thanksher,andgoesout.NORA
schließt
shutsthedoor.Sheislaughingtoherself,asshetakesoffherhat
und
andcoat.Shetakesapacketofmacaroonsfromherpocket
und
andeatsoneortwo;then
geht
goescautiouslytoherhusband’sdoorund
andlistens.]Yes,heisin.HELMER.
[callsoutfromhisroom].
Isthatmylittlelarktwitteringout
da
there?NORA.
[busyopeningsomeoftheparcels].
Ja
Yes,itis!HELMER.
Isitmylittlesquirrelbustlingabout?
NORA.
Ja
Yes!HELMER.
Whendidmysquirrelcomehome?
NORA.
Gerade
Justnow.[Putsthebagofmacaroonsintoherpocket
und
andwipeshermouth.]Comeinhere,Torvald,und
andseewhatIhavegekauft
bought.HELMER.
Don’tdisturbme.
Ein
[Alittlelater,heopensthedoorund
andlooksintotheroom,peninhand
hand.]Bought,didyousay?Allthesethings?
Hasmylittlespendthriftbeenwasting
geld
moneyagain?NORA.
Yesbut,Torvald,this
jahr
yearwereallycanletourselvesgoein
alittle.Thisisthe
erste
firstChristmasthatwehavenotneededtoeconomise.HELMER.
Still,you
wissen
know,wecan’tspendmoneyrecklessly.NORA.
Ja
Yes,Torvald,wemaybeein
aweebitmorerecklessjetzt
now,mayn’twe?Justatinyweebit!
Youaregoingto
haben
haveabigsalaryandearnlotsund
andlotsofmoney.HELMER.
Ja
Yes,aftertheNewYear;aber
butthenitwillbeein
awholequarterbeforethesalaryisdue.NORA.
Pooh!
we
können
canborrowuntilthen.HELMER.
Nora!
[Goesuptoher
und
andtakesherplayfullybytheear.]Thederselbe
samelittlefeatherhead!Suppose,now,thatIborrowedfiftypounds
heute
today,andyouspentitalle
allintheChristmasweek,und
andthenonNewYear’sEveein
aslatefellonmykopf
headandkilledme,and—.NORA.
[puttingherhands
über
overhismouth].Oh!
don’t
sagen
saysuchhorridthings.HELMER.
Still,supposethathappened,—whatthen?
NORA.
Ifthatwereto
passieren
happen,Idon’tsupposeIshouldcarewhetherIowedgeld
moneyornot.HELMER.
Yes,
aber
butwhataboutthepeoplewhohadlentes
it?NORA.
They?
Whowouldbotheraboutthem?
I
sollte
shouldnotknowwhotheywere.HELMER.
Thatislike
eine
awoman!Butseriously,Nora,youknowwhatIthinkaboutthat.
Nodebt,noborrowing.
There
kann
canbenofreedomorbeautyaboutahomelifethatdependsonborrowingund
anddebt.Wetwohavekeptbravelyon
die
thestraightroadsofar,und
andwewillgoondie
thesamewayfortheshortzeit
timelongerthatthereneedbeanystruggle.NORA.
[movingtowardsthestove].
Asyouplease,Torvald.
HELMER.
Folge
[followingher].Come,come,mylittleskylarkmustnotdroopherwings.
Whatisthis!
Ismylittlesquirreloutoftemper?
[Takingouthispurse.]Nora,whatdoyou
glaubst
thinkIhavegothere?NORA.
[turningroundquickly].
Geld
Money!HELMER.
Thereyouare.
[Giveshersomemoney.]Doyou
glaubst
thinkIdon’tknowwhataviel
lotiswantedforhousekeepingatChristmas-time?NORA.
[counting].
Zehn
Tenshillings—apound—twopounds!Thankyou,
danke
thankyou,Torvald;thatwillkeepmegoingfora
lange
longtime.HELMER.
Indeedit
muss
must.NORA.
Yes,yes,it
wird
will.ButcomehereandletmeshowyouwhatIhave
gekauft
bought.Andallsocheap!
Look,
hier
hereisanewsuitforIvar,und
andasword;andahorse
und
andatrumpetforBob;und
andadollanddolly’sbedsteadforEmmy,—theyaresehr
veryplain,butanywayshewird
willsoonbreaktheminpieces.Und
Andherearedress-lengthsandhandkerchiefsfordie
themaids;oldAnneought
wirklich
reallytohavesomethingbetter.HELMER.
Und
Andwhatisinthisparcel?NORA.
[cryingout].
No,no!
youmustn’t
sehen
seethatuntilthisevening.HELMER.
Sehr
Verywell.Butnowtell
mir
me,youextravagantlittleperson,whatwouldyoulikeforyourself?NORA.
Formyself?
Oh,Iam
sicher
sureIdon’twantanything.HELMER.
Ja
Yes,butyoumust.Tellme
etwas
somethingreasonablethatyouwouldparticularlyliketohaben
have.NORA.
No,Ireallycan’tthinkofanything—unless,Torvald—.
HELMER.
Well?
NORA.
[playingwithhiscoatbuttons,
und
andwithoutraisinghereyestoseine
his].Ifyoureallywantto
geben
givemesomething,youmight—youmight—.HELMER.
Nun
Well,outwithit!NORA.
[speakingquickly].
Youmight
geben
givememoney,Torvald.Onlyjustas
viel
muchasyoucanafford;und
andthenoneofthesedaysIwerde
willbuysomethingwithit.HELMER.
Aber
But,Nora—.NORA.
Oh,do!
dearTorvald;
bitte
please,pleasedo!ThenI
werde
willwrapitupinbeautifulgiltpaperund
andhangitontheChristmasTree.Wouldn’tthatbefun?
HELMER.
Whatarelittle
leute
peoplecalledthatarealwayswastinggeld
money?NORA.
Spendthrifts—Iknow.
Letus
tun
doasyousuggest,Torvald,und
andthenIshallhavezeit
timetothinkwhatIammeisten
mostinwantof.Thatis
ein
averysensibleplan,isn’tit?HELMER.
[smiling].
Indeeditis—thatistosay,
wenn
ifyouwerereallytosparen
saveoutofthemoneyIgiveyou,und
andthenreallybuysomethingforyourself.Aber
Butifyouspenditallondas
thehousekeepingandanynumberofunnecessarythings,thenImerelyhavetobezahlen
payupagain.NORA.
Oh
aber
but,Torvald—.HELMER.
Youcan’tdeny
es
it,mydearlittleNora.[Putshisarmroundherwaist.]It’s
eine
asweetlittlespendthrift,butsheusesupeine
adealofmoney.Onewouldhardly
glauben
believehowexpensivesuchlittlepersonsare!NORA.
It’s
eine
ashametosaythat.Ido
wirklich
reallysaveallIcan.HELMER.
[laughing].
That’s
sehr
verytrue,—allyoucan.Butyoucan’t
retten
saveanything!NORA.
[smilingquietly
und
andhappily].Youhaven’tany
ahnung
ideahowmanyexpensesweskylarksund
andsquirrelshave,Torvald.HELMER.
Youare
eine
anoddlittlesoul.Verylikeyour
vater
father.Youalwaysfindsomenew
weg
wayofwheedlingmoneyoutofmir
me,and,assoonasyouhavegotes
it,itseemstomeltinyourhands.You
nie
neverknowwhereithasgegangen
gone.Still,onemusttakeyouasyouare.
Itisinthe
blut
blood;forindeeditis
wahr
truethatyoucaninheritthesethings,Nora.NORA.
Ah,IwishIhadinherited
viele
manyofpapa’squalities.HELMER.
Und
AndIwouldnotwishyoutobeanythingbutjustwhatyouare,mysweetlittleskylark.Aber
But,doyouknow,itstrikesmedass
thatyouarelookingrather—whatshallIsay—ratheruneasyheute
today?NORA.