ACTI
[SCENE.—Aroomfurnishedcomfortablyandtastefully,butnotextravagantly.
Attheback,adoortotherightleadstotheentrance-hall,anothertotheleftleadstoHelmer’sstudy.
Betweenthedoorsstandsa
piano
piano.Inthemiddleoftheleft-handwallisadoor,andbeyonditawindow.
Nearthewindowarearoundtable,arm-chairsandasmallsofa.
Intheright-handwall,atthefartherend,anotherdoor;
andonthesameside,nearerthefootlights,astove,twoeasychairsandarocking-chair;
betweenthestoveandthedoor,asmalltable.
Engravingsonthewalls;
acabinetwithchinaandothersmallobjects;
asmallbook-casewithwell-boundbooks.
Thefloorsarecarpeted,andafireburnsinthestove.
Itis
musim dingin
winter.Abellringsinthe
aula
hall;shortlyafterwardsthedoorisheardtoopen.
EnterNORA,hummingatuneandinhighspirits.
Sheisinoutdoordressandcarriesanumberofparcels;
theseshelaysonthetabletotheright.
NORA.
HidetheChristmasTreecarefully,Helen.
Besurethechildrendonotseeituntilthisevening,whenitisdressed.
[TothePORTER,takingoutherpurse.]Howmuch?
PORTER.
Sixpence.
NORA.
Thereisashilling.
No,keepthechange.
[ThePORTERthanksher,andgoesout.
NORAshutsthedoor.
Sheislaughingtoherself,asshetakesoffher
topi
hatandcoat.Shetakesapacketofmacaroonsfromherpocketandeatsoneortwo;
thengoescautiouslytoherhusband’sdoorandlistens.]Yes,heisin.
HELMER.
[callsoutfromhisroom].
Isthatmylittlelarktwitteringoutthere?
NORA.
[busyopeningsomeoftheparcels].
Yes,itis!
HELMER.
Isitmylittlesquirrelbustlingabout?
NORA.
Yes!
HELMER.
Whendidmysquirrelcomehome?
NORA.
Justnow.
[Putsthebagofmacaroonsintoherpocketandwipeshermouth.]Comeinhere,Torvald,andseewhatIhavebought.
HELMER.
Don’tdisturbme.
[Alittlelater,heopensthedoorandlooksintotheroom,
pena
peninhand.]Bought,didyousay?Allthesethings?
Hasmylittlespendthriftbeenwastingmoneyagain?
NORA.
Yesbut,Torvald,thisyearwereallycanletourselvesgoalittle.
ThisisthefirstChristmasthatwehavenotneededtoeconomise.
HELMER.
Still,youknow,wecan’tspendmoneyrecklessly.
NORA.
Yes,Torvald,wemaybeaweebitmorerecklessnow,mayn’twe?
Justatinyweebit!
Youaregoingtohaveabigsalaryand
mendapatkan
earnlotsandlotsofmoney.HELMER.
Yes,aftertheNewYear;
butthenitwillbeawhole
seperempat
quarterbeforethesalaryiskarena
due.NORA.
Pooh!
wecan
meminjam
borrowuntilthen.HELMER.
Nora!
[Goesuptoherandtakesherplayfullybytheear.]Thesamelittlefeatherhead!
Suppose,now,thatI
meminjam
borrowedfiftypoundstoday,andyouspentitallintheChristmasweek,andthenonNewYear’sEveaslatefellonmyheadandkilledme,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.
No
hutang
debt,noborrowing.Therecanbeno
kebebasan
freedomorbeautyaboutahomelifethatdependsonborrowingandhutang
debt.Wetwohavekeptbravelyonthestraightroadsofar,andwewillgoonthesamewayfortheshorttimelongerthatthereneedbeany
perjuangan
struggle.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.
Memang
Indeeditmust.NORA.
Yes,yes,itwill.
ButcomehereandletmeshowyouwhatIhavebought.
Andallso
murah
cheap!Look,hereisanewsuitforIvar,anda
pedang
sword;andahorseandatrumpetforBob;
anda
boneka
dollanddolly’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.
Onlyjustasmuchasyoucan
mampu
afford;andthenoneofthesedaysIwillbuysomethingwithit.
HELMER.
But,Nora—.
NORA.
Oh,do!
dearTorvald;
please,pleasedo!
ThenIwillwrapitupinbeautifulgiltpaperandhangitontheChristmasTree.
Wouldn’tthatbefun?
HELMER.
Whatarelittlepeoplecalledthatarealwayswastingmoney?
NORA.
Spendthrifts—Iknow.
Letusdoasyou
sarankan
suggest,Torvald,andthenIshallhavetimetothinkwhatIammostinwantof.Thatisaverysensibleplan,isn’tit?
HELMER.
[smiling].
Memang
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.
[smiling
diam
quietlyandhappily].Youhaven’tanyideahowmanyexpensesweskylarksandsquirrelshave,Torvald.
HELMER.
Youarean
aneh
oddlittlesoul.Verylikeyourfather.
Youalwaysfindsomenewwayofwheedlingmoneyoutofme,and,assoonasyouhavegotit,itseemstomeltinyourhands.
Youneverknowwhereithasgone.
Still,onemusttakeyouasyouare.
Itisintheblood;
for
memang
indeeditistruethatyoucaninheritthesethings,Nora.NORA.
Ah,IwishIhadinheritedmanyofpapa’squalities.
HELMER.
AndIwouldnotwishyoutobeanythingbutjustwhatyouare,mysweetlittleskylark.
But,doyouknow,itstrikesmethatyouarelookingrather—whatshallIsay—ratheruneasytoday?
NORA.