ACTI
[SCENE.—Aroomfurnished
आराम
comfortablyandtastefully,butnotextravagantly.Attheback,adoortotherightleadstotheentrance-hall,anothertotheleftleadstoHelmer’sstudy.
Betweenthedoorsstandsapiano.
Inthemiddleoftheleft-handwallisadoor,andbeyonditawindow.
Nearthewindowarearoundtable,arm-chairsandasmall
सोफा
sofa.Intheright-handwall,atthe
दूर
fartherend,anotherdoor;andonthesameside,nearerthefootlights,a
स्टोव
stove,twoeasychairsandarocking-chair;betweenthe
स्टोव
stoveandthedoor,asmalltable.Engravingsonthewalls;
a
कैबिनेट
cabinetwithchinaandothersmallobjects;asmallbook-casewithwell-boundbooks.
Thefloorsarecarpeted,andafireburnsinthe
स्टोव
stove.Itiswinter.
Abellringsinthehall;
shortlyafterwardsthedoorisheardtoopen.
EnterNORA,humminga
धुन
tuneandinhighspirits.Sheisin
आउटडोर
outdoordressandcarriesanumberofparcels;theseshelaysonthetabletotheright.
NORA.
HidetheChristmasTreecarefully,Helen.
Besurethechildrendonotseeituntilthisevening,whenitisdressed.
[TothePORTER,takingouther
पर्स
purse.]Howmuch?PORTER.
Sixpence.
NORA.
Thereisa
शिलिंग
shilling.No,keepthechange.
[ThePORTERthanksher,andgoesout.
NORAshutsthedoor.
Sheislaughingtoherself,asshetakesoffherhatandcoat.
Shetakesa
पैकेट
packetofmacaroonsfromherpocketandeatsoneortwo;thengoescautiouslytoherhusband’sdoorandlistens.]Yes,heisin.
HELMER.
[callsoutfromhisroom].
Isthatmylittlelarktwitteringoutthere?
NORA.
[busyopeningsomeoftheparcels].
Yes,itis!
HELMER.
Isitmylittle
गिलहरी
squirrelbustlingabout?NORA.
Yes!
HELMER.
Whendidmy
गिलहरी
squirrelcomehome?NORA.
Justnow.
[Putsthebagofmacaroonsintoherpocketandwipeshermouth.]Comeinhere,Torvald,andseewhatIhavebought.
HELMER.
Don’t
परेशान
disturbme.[Alittlelater,heopensthedoorandlooksintotheroom,peninhand.]Bought,didyousay?
Allthesethings?
Hasmylittlespendthriftbeenwastingmoneyagain?
NORA.
Yesbut,Torvald,thisyearwereallycanletourselvesgoalittle.
ThisisthefirstChristmasthatwehavenotneededtoeconomise.
HELMER.
Still,youknow,wecan’tspendmoneyrecklessly.
NORA.
Yes,Torvald,wemaybeaweebitmore
लापरवाह
recklessnow,mayn’twe?Justatinyweebit!
Youaregoingtohaveabig
वेतन
salaryandearnlotsandlotsofmoney.HELMER.
Yes,aftertheNewYear;
butthenitwillbeawholequarterbeforethe
वेतन
salaryisdue.NORA.
Pooh!
wecanborrowuntilthen.
HELMER.
Nora!
[Goesuptoherandtakesherplayfullybytheear.]Thesamelittlefeatherhead!
Suppose,now,thatIborrowedfiftypoundstoday,andyouspentitallintheChristmasweek,andthenonNewYear’sEvea
स्लेट
slatefellonmyheadandkilledme,and—.NORA.
[puttingherhandsoverhismouth].
Oh!
don’tsaysuchhorridthings.
HELMER.
Still,supposethathappened,—whatthen?
NORA.
Ifthatweretohappen,Idon’tsupposeIshouldcarewhetherIowedmoneyornot.
HELMER.
Yes,butwhataboutthepeoplewhohadlentit?
NORA.
They?
Whowouldbotheraboutthem?
Ishouldnotknowwhotheywere.
HELMER.
Thatislikeawoman!
Butseriously,Nora,youknowwhatIthinkaboutthat.
Nodebt,noborrowing.
Therecanbenofreedomorbeautyaboutahomelifethatdependsonborrowinganddebt.
Wetwohavekept
बहादुरी
bravelyonthestraightroadsofar,andwewillgoonthesamewayfortheshorttimelongerthatthereneedbeanystruggle.NORA.
[movingtowardsthestove].
Asyouplease,Torvald.
HELMER.
[followingher].
Come,come,mylittleskylarkmustnotdroopherwings.
Whatisthis!
Ismylittle
गिलहरी
squirreloutoftemper?[Takingouthis
पर्स
purse.]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,hereisanewsuitforIvar,andasword;
andahorseanda
तुरही
trumpetforBob;andadollanddolly’sbedsteadforEmmy,—theyarevery
सादे
plain,butanywayshewillsoonbreaktheminpieces.Andherearedress-lengthsandhandkerchiefsforthemaids;
oldAnneoughtreallytohavesomethingbetter.
HELMER.
Andwhatisinthis
पार्सल
parcel?NORA.
[cryingout].
No,no!
youmustn’tseethatuntilthisevening.
HELMER.
Verywell.
Butnowtellme,you
असाधारण
extravagantlittleperson,whatwouldyoulikeforyourself?NORA.
Formyself?
Oh,IamsureIdon’twantanything.
HELMER.
Yes,butyoumust.
Tellmesomething
उचित
reasonablethatyouwouldparticularlyliketohave.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!
ThenIwillwrapitupinbeautifulgiltpaperandhangitontheChristmasTree.
Wouldn’tthatbefun?
HELMER.
Whatarelittlepeoplecalledthatarealwayswastingmoney?
NORA.
Spendthrifts—Iknow.
Letusdoasyousuggest,Torvald,andthenIshallhavetimetothinkwhatIammostinwantof.
Thatisavery
समझदार
sensibleplan,isn’tit?HELMER.
[smiling].
Indeeditis—thatistosay,ifyouwerereallytosaveoutofthemoneyIgiveyou,andthenreallybuysomethingforyourself.
Butifyouspenditallonthehousekeepingandanynumberof
अनावश्यक
unnecessarythings,thenImerelyhavetopayupagain.NORA.
Ohbut,Torvald—.
HELMER.
Youcan’tdenyit,mydearlittleNora.
[Putshisarmroundher
कमर
waist.]It’sasweetlittlespendthrift,butsheusesupadealofmoney.Onewouldhardlybelievehowexpensivesuchlittlepersonsare!
NORA.
It’sashametosaythat.
IdoreallysaveallIcan.
HELMER.
[laughing].
That’sverytrue,—allyoucan.
Butyoucan’tsaveanything!
NORA.
[smilingquietlyand
खुशी
happily].Youhaven’tanyideahowmanyexpensesweskylarksandsquirrelshave,Torvald.
HELMER.
Youareanoddlittlesoul.
Verylikeyourfather.
Youalwaysfindsomenewwayofwheedlingmoneyoutofme,and,assoonasyouhavegotit,itseemsto
पिघल
meltinyourhands.Youneverknowwhereithasgone.
Still,onemusttakeyouasyouare.
Itisintheblood;
forindeeditistruethatyoucaninheritthesethings,Nora.
NORA.
Ah,IwishIhadinheritedmanyofpapa’squalities.
HELMER.
AndIwouldnotwishyoutobeanythingbutjustwhatyouare,mysweetlittleskylark.
But,doyouknow,itstrikesmethatyouarelookingrather—whatshallIsay—rather
असहज
uneasytoday?NORA.