ACTI
[SCENE.—Aroomfurnishedcomfortably
e
andtastefully,butnotextravagantly.Attheback,a
porta
doortotherightleadstotheentrance-hall,anothertotheleftleadstoHelmer’sstudy.Tra
Betweenthedoorsstandsapiano.Inthemiddleoftheleft-handwallis
una
adoor,andbeyondituna
awindow.Nearthewindoware
un
aroundtable,arm-chairsandun
asmallsofa.Intheright-handwall,atthefartherend,another
porta
door;andonthesame
lato
side,nearerthefootlights,astove,due
twoeasychairsandarocking-chair;tra
betweenthestoveandtheporta
door,asmalltable.Engravingsonthewalls;
un
acabinetwithchinaandaltri
othersmallobjects;asmallbook-casewithwell-boundbooks.
I
Thefloorsarecarpeted,andun
afireburnsinthestove.Itiswinter.
Una
Abellringsinthehall;shortlyafterwards
la
thedoorisheardtoaprire
open.EnterNORA,hummingatune
e
andinhighspirits.Sheisinoutdoordress
e
andcarriesanumberofparcels;theseshelaysonthetabletothe
destra
right.NORA.
HidetheChristmasTreecarefully,Helen.
Besure
i
thechildrendonotseeituntilthisevening,quando
whenitisdressed.[To
la
thePORTER,takingoutherpurse.]Howmuch?PORTER.
Sixpence.
NORA.
Thereisashilling.
No,
tieni
keepthechange.[ThePORTER
ringrazia
thanksher,andgoesout.NORAshuts
la
thedoor.Sheislaughingtoherself,asshetakesoffherhat
e
andcoat.Shetakesapacketofmacaroonsfromherpocket
e
andeatsoneortwo;then
va
goescautiouslytoherhusband’sporta
doorandlistens.]Yes,heisin.HELMER.
[callsoutfromhisroom].
Is
che
thatmylittlelarktwitteringoutthere?NORA.
[busy
aprire
openingsomeoftheparcels].Sì
Yes,itis!HELMER.
Isitmy
piccolo
littlesquirrelbustlingabout?NORA.
Sì
Yes!HELMER.
Whendidmysquirrelcome
casa
home?NORA.
Justnow.
[Puts
la
thebagofmacaroonsintoherpockete
andwipeshermouth.]Comeinqui
here,Torvald,andseewhatIho
havebought.HELMER.
Don’tdisturbme.
Un
[Alittlelater,heopensla
thedoorandlooksintola
theroom,peninhand.]Bought,didyousay?Tutte
Allthesethings?Hasmy
piccolo
littlespendthriftbeenwastingmoneydi nuovo
again?NORA.
Yesbut,Torvald,thisyearwe
davvero
reallycanletourselvesgoun
alittle.Thisisthe
primo
firstChristmasthatwehavenotneededtoeconomise.HELMER.
Still,you
sai
know,wecan’tspendmoneyrecklessly.NORA.
Sì
Yes,Torvald,wemaybeun
aweebitmorerecklessora
now,mayn’twe?Justatinyweebit!
Youaregoingto
avrai
haveabigsalaryandearnlotse
andlotsofmoney.HELMER.
Sì
Yes,aftertheNewYear;ma
butthenitwillbeun
awholequarterbeforethesalaryisdue.NORA.
Pooh!
wecanborrowuntilthen.
HELMER.
Nora!
[Goesuptoher
e
andtakesherplayfullybyla
theear.]Thesamelittlefeatherhead!Suppose,
ora
now,thatIborrowedfiftypoundsoggi
today,andyouspentittutte
allintheChristmasweek,e
andthenonNewYear’sEveun
aslatefellonmytesta
headandkilledme,and—.NORA.
[puttingherhandsoverhismouth].
Oh!
don’t
dire
saysuchhorridthings.HELMER.
Still,suppose
che
thathappened,—whatthen?NORA.
If
che
thatweretohappen,Idon’tsupposeIshouldcarewhetherIowedsoldi
moneyornot.HELMER.
Yes,
ma
butwhataboutthepeopleche
whohadlentit?NORA.
They?
Chi
Whowouldbotheraboutthem?I
dovrei
shouldnotknowwhotheywere.HELMER.
Thatis
come
likeawoman!Butseriously,Nora,you
sai
knowwhatIthinkaboutthat.Nodebt,noborrowing.
Therecanbe
non
nofreedomorbeautyaboutuna
ahomelifethatdependsonborrowinge
anddebt.Wetwohave
mantenuto
keptbravelyonthestraightroadsofinora
far,andwewillgoonil
thesamewayfortheshorttempo
timelongerthatthereneedbequalsiasi
anystruggle.NORA.
[movingtowards
la
thestove].Asyouplease,Torvald.
HELMER.
[followingher].
Vieni
Come,come,mylittleskylarkdeve
mustnotdroopherwings.Whatis
questo
this!Ismylittlesquirreloutoftemper?
[Takingouthispurse.]Nora,whatdoyouthinkI
abbia
havegothere?NORA.
[turningroundquickly].
Soldi
Money!HELMER.
Thereyouare.
[Giveshersomemoney.]Doyou
pensi
thinkIdon’tknowwhatalotiswantedforhousekeepingatChristmas-time?NORA.
[counting].
Dieci
Tenshillings—apound—twopounds!Thankyou,thankyou,Torvald;
thatwillkeepme
andare
goingforalongtime.HELMER.
Indeedit
deve
must.NORA.
Yes,yes,itwill.
Ma
Butcomehereandletmemostri
showyouwhatIhavecomprato
bought.Andallsocheap!
Guarda
Look,hereisanewsuitforIvar,e
andasword;andahorse
e
andatrumpetforBob;e
andadollanddolly’sbedsteadforEmmy,—theyareveryplain,ma
butanywayshewillsoonbreaktheminpieces.E
Andherearedress-lengthsandhandkerchiefsforle
themaids;oldAnneought
davvero
reallytohavesomethingbetter.HELMER.
E
Andwhatisinthisparcel?NORA.
[cryingout].
Non
No,no!youmustn’tseethatuntilthisevening.
HELMER.
Very
bene
well.Butnowtellme,youextravagantlittleperson,what
vorresti
wouldyoulikeforyourself?NORA.
Formyself?
Oh,Iam
sicuro
sureIdon’twantanything.HELMER.
Yes,
ma
butyoumust.Tellme
qualcosa
somethingreasonablethatyouwouldparticularlyliketoavere
have.NORA.
No,Ireallycan’t
pensare
thinkofanything—unless,Torvald—.HELMER.
Well?
NORA.
[playingwithhiscoatbuttons,
e
andwithoutraisinghereyestohis].Se
Ifyoureallywanttogivemequalcosa
something,youmight—youmight—.HELMER.
Well,
fuori
outwithit!NORA.
[speakingquickly].
You
potresti
mightgivememoney,Torvald.Onlyjustasmuchasyoucanafford;
e
andthenoneofthesedaysIwillbuyqualcosa
somethingwithit.HELMER.
But,Nora—.
NORA.
Oh,do!
caro
dearTorvald;please,pleasedo!
ThenIwillwrapitupinbeautifulgiltpaper
e
andhangitontheChristmasTree.Wouldn’tthatbe
divertente
fun?HELMER.
Whatarelittle
persone
peoplecalledthatarealwayswastingsoldi
money?NORA.
Spendthrifts—Iknow.
Letus
facciamo
doasyousuggest,Torvald,e
andthenIshallhavetempo
timetothinkwhatIampiù
mostinwantof.Thatis
un
averysensibleplan,isn’tit?HELMER.
[smiling].
Indeeditis—thatistosay,
se
ifyouwerereallytorisparmiare
saveoutofthemoneyIdo
giveyou,andthenreallycomprare
buysomethingforyourself.But
se
ifyouspenditallonle
thehousekeepingandanynumberofunnecessarythings,thenImerelyhavetopagare
payupagain.NORA.
Oh
ma
but,Torvald—.HELMER.
Youcan’tdenyit,my
cara
dearlittleNora.[Putshisarmroundherwaist.]It’s
un
asweetlittlespendthrift,butsheusa
usesupadealofsoldi
money.Onewouldhardlybelieve
quanto
howexpensivesuchlittlepersonssiano
are!NORA.
It’sashametosaythat.
Ido
davvero
reallysaveallIcan.HELMER.
[laughing].
That’sverytrue,—allyoucan.
Ma
Butyoucan’tsaveanything!NORA.
[smilingquietly
e
andhappily].Youhaven’tany
idea
ideahowmanyexpensesweskylarkse
andsquirrelshave,Torvald.HELMER.
Youare
un
anoddlittlesoul.Verylikeyour
padre
father.Youalwaysfindsome
nuovo
newwayofwheedlingmoneyoutofme,e
and,assoonasyouhai
havegotit,itseemstomeltinyourhands.Younever
sa
knowwhereithasgone.Still,onemusttakeyouasyou
sei
are.Itisinthe
sangue
blood;forindeeditis
vero
truethatyoucaninheritthesethings,Nora.NORA.
Ah,IwishIhadinherited
molte
manyofpapa’squalities.HELMER.
E
AndIwouldnotwishyoutobeanythingbutjustwhatyouare,mydolce
sweetlittleskylark.But,doyou
sapete
know,itstrikesmethatyouarelookingrather—whatshallIsay—ratheruneasyoggi
today?NORA.