A DOLL'S HOUSE by Henrik Ibsen DRAMATIS PERSONAE Torvald Helmer. Nora, his wife. Doctor Rank. Mrs. Linde.

Nils Krogstad. Helmer's three yo n! children. "nne, their n rse. " Ho semaid. " #orter. $The action takes %lace in Helmer's ho se.& Act I (SCENE.--A room furnished comfortably and tastefully, but not extravagantly. At the back, a door to the right leads to the entrance-hall, another to the left leads to elmer!s study. "et#een the doors stands a $iano. %n the middle of the left-hand #all is a door, and beyond it a #indo#. Near the #indo# are a round table, arm-chairs and a small sofa. %n the right-hand #all, at the farther end, another door& and on the same side, nearer the footlights, a stove, t#o easy chairs and a rocking-chair& bet#een the stove and the door, a small table. Engravings on the #alls& a cabinet #ith china and other small ob'ects& a small book-case #ith #ell-bound books. (he floors are car$eted, and a fire burns in the stove. %t is #inter. A bell rings in the hall& shortly after#ards the door is heard to o$en. Enter N)*A, humming a tune and in high s$irits. She is in outdoor dress and carries a number of $arcels& these she lays on the table to the right. She leaves the outer door o$en after her, and through it is seen a +)*(E* #ho is carrying a Christmas (ree and a basket, #hich he gives to the ,A%- #ho has o$ened the door.. N'R". Hide the (hristmas Tree caref lly, Helen. )e s re the children do not see it ntil this evenin!, when it is dressed. ((o the +)*(E*, taking out her $urse.. How m ch* #'RT+R. ,i-%ence.

N'R". There is a shillin!. No, kee% the chan!e. $The #'RT+R thanks her, and !oes o t. N)*A shuts the door. She is laughing to herself, as she takes off her hat and coat. She takes a $acket of macaroons from her $ocket and eats one or t#o& then goes cautiously to her husband!s door and listens.. /es, he is in. (Still humming, she goes to the table on the right.. H+LM+R. $calls o t from his room&. Is that my little lark twitterin! o t there* N'R". $b sy o%enin! some of the %arcels&. .es, it is/ H+LM+R. Is it my little s0 irrel b stlin! abo t* N'R". .es/ H+LM+R. 1hen did my s0 irrel come home* N'R". 2 st now. $+uts the bag of macaroons into her $ocket and #i$es her mouth.. (ome in here, Torvald, and see what I have bo !ht. H+LM+R. Don't dist rb me. (A little later, he o$ens the door and looks into the room, $en in hand.. )o !ht, did yo say* "ll these thin!s* Has my little s%endthrift been wastin! money a!ain* N'R". .es b t, Torvald, this year we really can let o rselves !o a little. This is the first (hristmas that we have not needed to economise. H+LM+R. ,till, yo know, we can't s%end money recklessly. Nora. .es, Torvald, we may be a wee bit more reckless now, mayn't we* 2 st a tiny wee bit/ .o are !oin! to have a bi! salary and earn lots and lots of money. H+LM+R. .es, after the New .ear3 b t then it will be a whole 0 arter before the salary is d e.

N'R". #ooh/ we can borrow ntil then. H+LM+R. Nora/ $0oes u$ to her and takes her $layfully by the ear.. The same little featherhead/ , %%ose, now, that I borrowed fifty %o nds today, and yo s%ent it all in the (hristmas week, and then on New .ear's +ve a slate fell on my head and killed me, and4 Nora $$utting her hands over his mouth.. 'h/ don't say s ch horrid thin!s. H+LM+R. ,till, s %%ose that ha%%ened,55what then* N'R". If that were to ha%%en, I don't s %%ose I sho ld care whether I owed money or not. H+LM+R. .es, b t what abo t the %eo%le who had lent it* N'R". They* 1ho wo ld bother abo t them* I sho ld not know who they were. H+LM+R. That is like a woman/ ) t serio sly, Nora, yo know what I think abo t that. No debt, no borrowin!. There can be no freedom or bea ty abo t a home life that de%ends on borrowin! and debt. 1e two have ke%t bravely on the strai!ht road so far, and we will !o on the same way for the short time lon!er that there need be any str !!le. N'R". $movin! towards the stove&. "s yo %lease, Torvald. H+LM+R. $followin! her&. (ome, come, my little skylark m st not droo% her win!s. 1hat is this/ Is my little s0 irrel o t of tem%er* ((aking out his $urse.. Nora, what do yo think I have !ot here* N'R". $turning round 1uickly.. Money/ H+LM+R. There yo are. (0ives her some money.. Do yo think I don't know what a lot is wanted for ho sekee%in! at (hristmas5 time*

N'R". $counting.. Ten shillin!s55a %o nd55two %o nds/ Thank yo , thank yo , Torvald3 that will kee% me !oin! for a lon! time. H+LM+R. Indeed it m st. N'R". .es, yes, it will. ) t come here and let me show yo what I have bo !ht. "nd all so chea%/ Look, here is a new s it for Ivar, and a sword3 and a horse and a tr m%et for )ob3 and a doll and dolly's bedstead for +mmy,55they are very %lain, b t anyway she will soon break them in %ieces. "nd here are dress5len!ths and handkerchiefs for the maids3 old "nne o !ht really to have somethin! better. H+LM+R. "nd what is in this %arcel* N'R". (crying out&. No, no/ yo m stn't see that ntil this evenin!. H+LM+R. 6ery well. ) t now tell me, yo e-trava!ant little %erson, what wo ld yo like for yo rself* N'R". 7or myself* 'h, I am s re I don't want anythin!. H+LM+R. .es, b t yo m st. Tell me somethin! reasonable that yo wo ld %artic larly like to have. N'R". No, I really can't think of anythin!55 nless, Torvald55 H+LM+R. 1ell* N'R" $$laying #ith his coat buttons, and #ithout raising her eyes to his&. If yo really want to !ive me somethin!, yo mi!ht55yo mi!ht55 H+LM+R. 1ell, o t with it/ N'R". (s$eaking 1uickly&. .o mi!ht !ive me money, Torvald. 'nly 8 st as m ch as yo can afford3 and then one of these days I will b y somethin! with it.

H+LM+R. ) t, Nora55 N'R". 'h, do/ dear Torvald3 %lease, %lease do/ Then I will wra% it % in bea tif l !ilt %a%er and han! it on the (hristmas Tree. 1o ldn't that be f n* H+LM+R. 1hat are little %eo%le called that are always wastin! money* N'R". ,%endthrifts55I know. Let s do as yo s !!est, Torvald, and then I shall have time to think what I am most in want of. That is a very sensible %lan, isn't it* H+LM+R. $smilin!&. Indeed it is55that is to say, if yo were really to save o t of the money I !ive yo , and then really b y somethin! for yo rself. ) t if yo s%end it all on the ho sekee%in! and any n mber of nnecessary thin!s, then I merely have to %ay % a!ain. N'R". 'h b t, Torvald55 H+LM+R. .o can't deny it, my dear little Nora. $+uts his arm round her #aist.& It's a sweet little s%endthrift, b t she ses % a deal of money. 'ne wo ld hardly believe how e-%ensive s ch little %ersons are/ N'R". It's a shame to say that. I do really save all I can. H+LM+R. $laughing.. That's very tr e,55all yo can. ) t yo can't save anythin!/ N'R". $smiling 1uietly and ha$$ily&. .o haven't any idea how many e-%enses we skylarks and s0 irrels have, Torvald. H+LM+R. .o are an odd little so l. 6ery like yo r father. .o always find some new way of wheedlin! money o t of me, and, as soon as yo have !ot it, it seems to melt in yo r hands. .o never know where it has !one. ,till, one m st take yo as yo are. It is in the blood3 for indeed it is tr e that yo can inherit these thin!s, Nora. N'R".

"h, I wish I had inherited many of %a%a's 0 alities. H+LM+R. "nd I wo ld not wish yo to be anythin! b t 8 st what yo are, my sweet little skylark. ) t, do yo know, it strikes me that yo are lookin! rather55what shall I say55rather neasy today* N'R". Do I* H+LM+R. .o do, really. Look strai!ht at me. N'R". $looks at him&. 1ell* H+LM+R. $#agging his finger at her&. Hasn't Miss ,weet Tooth been breakin! r les in town today* N'R". No3 what makes yo think that* H+LM+R. Hasn't she %aid a visit to the confectioner's* N'R". No, I ass re yo , Torvald55 H+LM+R. Not been nibblin! sweets* N'R". No, certainly not. H+LM+R. Not even taken a bite at a macaroon or two* N'R". No, Torvald, I ass re yo really55 H+LM+R. There, there, of co rse I was only 8okin!. N'R". $going to the table on the right&. I sho ld not think of !oin! a!ainst yo r wishes. H+LM+R.

No, I am s re of that3 besides, yo !ave me yo r word55 $ 0oing u$ to her.& 9ee% yo r little (hristmas secrets to yo rself, my darlin!. They will all be revealed toni!ht when the (hristmas Tree is lit, no do bt. N'R". Did yo remember to invite Doctor Rank* H+LM+R. No. ) t there is no need3 as a matter of co rse he will come to dinner with s. However, I will ask him when he comes in this mornin!. I have ordered some !ood wine. Nora, yo can't think how I am lookin! forward to this evenin!. N'R". ,o am I/ "nd how the children will en8oy themselves, Torvald/ H+LM+R. It is s%lendid to feel that one has a %erfectly safe a%%ointment, and a bi! eno !h income. It's deli!htf l to think of, isn't it* N'R". It's wonderf l/ H+LM+R. Do yo remember last (hristmas* 7or a f ll three weeks beforehand yo sh t yo rself % every evenin! ntil lon! after midni!ht, makin! ornaments for the (hristmas Tree, and all the other fine thin!s that were to be a s r%rise to s. It was the d llest three weeks I ever s%ent/ N'R". I didn't find it d ll. H+LM+R. $smiling&. ) t there was %recio s little res lt, Nora. N'R". 'h, yo sho ldn't tease me abo t that a!ain. How co ld I hel% the cat's !oin! in and tearin! everythin! to %ieces* H+LM+R. 'f co rse yo co ldn't, %oor little !irl. .o had the best of intentions to %lease s all, and that's the main thin!. ) t it is a !ood thin! that o r hard times are over. N'R".

.es, it is really wonderf l. H+LM+R. This time I needn't sit here and be d ll all alone, and yo needn't r in yo r dear eyes and yo r %retty little hands55 N'R". $cla$$ing her hands&. No, Torvald, I needn't any lon!er, need I/ It's wonderf lly lovely to hear yo say so/ $ (aking his arm.& Now I will tell yo how I have been thinkin! we o !ht to arran!e thin!s, Torvald. "s soon as (hristmas is over55$A bell rings in the hall.& There's the bell. $She tidies the room a little.& There's some one at the door. 1hat a n isance/ H+LM+R. If it is a caller, remember I am not at home. M"ID. $in the door#ay.. " lady to see yo , ma'am,55a stran!er. N'R". "sk her to come in. M"ID. $to H+LM+R&. The doctor came at the same time, sir. H+LM+R. Did he !o strai!ht into my room* M"ID. .es, sir. $H+LM+R !oes into his room. The M"ID shers in Mrs. LIND+, who is in travellin! dress, and sh ts the door.& Mrs. Linde $in a de8ected and timid voice&. How do yo do, Nora* N'R". $do btf lly&. How do yo do55Mrs. Linde. .o don't reco!nise me, I s %%ose. N'R". No, I don't know55yes, to be s re, I seem to55$, ddenly.& .es/ (hristine/ Is it really yo * MR,. LIND+. .es, it is I. N'R".

(hristine/ To think of my not reco!nisin! yo / "nd yet how co ld I55$In a !entle voice.& How yo have altered, (hristine/ MR,. LIND+. .es, I have indeed. In nine, ten lon! years55 N'R". Is it so lon! since we met* I s %%ose it is. The last ei!ht years have been a ha%%y time for me, I can tell yo . "nd so now yo have come into the town, and have taken this lon! 8o rney in winter55that was %l cky of yo . MR,. LIND+. I arrived by steamer this mornin!. N'R". To have some f n at (hristmas5time, of co rse. How deli!htf l/ 1e will have s ch f n to!ether/ ) t take off yo r thin!s. .o are not cold, I ho%e. $ el$s her.& Now we will sit down by the stove, and be cosy. No, take this armchair3 I will sit here in the rockin!5chair. $(akes her hands.& Now yo look like yo r old self a!ain3 it was only the first moment55.o are a little %aler, (hristine, and %erha%s a little thinner. MR,. LIND+. "nd m ch, m ch older, Nora. N'R". #erha%s a little older3 very, very little3 certainly not m ch. $,to%s s ddenly and s%eaks serio sly.& 1hat a tho !htless creat re I am, chatterin! away like this. My %oor, dear (hristine, do for!ive me. MR,. LIND+. 1hat do yo mean, Nora* N'R". $!ently&. #oor (hristine, yo are a widow. MR,. LIND+. .es3 it is three years a!o now. N'R". .es, I knew3 I saw it in the %a%ers. I ass re yo , (hristine, I meant ever so often to write to yo at the time, b t I always % t it off and somethin! always %revented me. MR,. LIND+.

I 0 ite nderstand, dear. N'R". It was very bad of me, (hristine. #oor thin!, how yo m st have s ffered. "nd he left yo nothin!* MR,. LIND+. No. N'R". "nd no children* MR,. LIND+. No. N'R". Nothin! at all, then. MR,. LIND+. Not even any sorrow or !rief to live %on. N'R". $looking incredulously at her&. ) t, (hristine, is that %ossible* MR,. LIND+ $smiles sadly and strokes her hair&. It sometimes ha%%ens, Nora. N'R". ,o yo are 0 ite alone. How dreadf lly sad that m st be. I have three lovely children. .o can't see them 8 st now, for they are o t with their n rse. ) t now yo m st tell me all abo t it. MR,. LIND+. No, no3 I want to hear abo t yo . N'R". No, yo m st be!in. I m stn't be selfish today3 today I m st only think of yo r affairs. ) t there is one thin! I m st tell yo . Do yo know we have 8 st had a !reat %iece of !ood l ck* MR,. LIND+. No, what is it* N'R". 2 st fancy, my h sband has been made mana!er of the )ank/ MR,. LIND+. .o r h sband* 1hat !ood l ck/

N'R". .es, tremendo s/ " barrister's %rofession is s ch an ncertain thin!, es%ecially if he won't ndertake nsavo ry cases3 and nat rally Torvald has never been willin! to do that, and I 0 ite a!ree with him. .o may ima!ine how %leased we are/ He is to take % his work in the )ank at the New .ear, and then he will have a bi! salary and lots of commissions. 7or the f t re we can live 0 ite differently55we can do 8 st as we like. I feel so relieved and so ha%%y, (hristine/ It will be s%lendid to have hea%s of money and not need to have any an-iety, won't it* MR,. LIND+. .es, anyhow I think it wo ld be deli!htf l to have what one needs. N'R". No, not only what one needs, b t hea%s and hea%s of money. MR,. LIND+ $smilin!&. Nora, Nora, haven't yo learned sense yet* In o r schooldays yo were a !reat s%endthrift. N'R". $la !hin!&. .es, that is what Torvald says now. $2ags her finger at her.& ) t :Nora, Nora: is not so silly as yo think. 1e have not been in a %osition for me to waste money. 1e have both had to work. MR,. LIND+. .o too* N'R". .es3 odds and ends, needlework, crotchet5work, embroidery, and that kind of thin!. $Dro%%in! her voice.& "nd other thin!s as well. .o know Torvald left his office when we were married* There was no %ros%ect of %romotion there, and he had to try and earn more than before. ) t d rin! the first year he over5worked himself dreadf lly. .o see, he had to make money every way he co ld, and he worked early and late3 b t he co ldn't stand it, and fell dreadf lly ill, and the doctors said it was necessary for him to !o so th. MR,. LIND+. .o s%ent a whole year in Italy, didn't yo * N'R". .es. It was no easy matter to !et away, I can tell yo . It was 8 st after Ivar was born3 b t nat rally we had to !o. It was a wonderf lly bea tif l 8o rney, and it saved Torvald's life. ) t it cost a tremendo s lot of money, (hristine.

MR,. LIND+. ,o I sho ld think. N'R". It cost abo t two h ndred and fifty %o nds. That's a lot, isn't it* MR,. LIND+. .es, and in emer!encies like that it is l cky to have the money. N'R". I o !ht to tell yo that we had it from %a%a. MR,. LIND+. 'h, I see. It was 8 st abo t that time that he died, wasn't it* N'R". .es3 and, 8 st think of it, I co ldn't !o and n rse him. I was e-%ectin! little Ivar's birth every day and I had my %oor sick Torvald to look after. My dear, kind father55I never saw him a!ain, (hristine. That was the saddest time I have known since o r marria!e. MR,. LIND+. I know how fond yo were of him. "nd then yo went off to Italy* N'R". .es3 yo see we had money then, and the doctors insisted on o r !oin!, so we started a month later. MR,. LIND+. "nd yo r h sband came back 0 ite well* N'R". "s so nd as a bell/ MR,. LIND+. ) t55the doctor* N'R". 1hat doctor* MR,. LIND+. I tho !ht yo r maid said the !entleman who arrived here 8 st as I did, was the doctor* N'R". .es, that was Doctor Rank, b t he doesn't come here %rofessionally. He is o r !reatest friend, and comes in at least once everyday. No, Torvald has not had an ho r's illness since then, and o r

children are stron! and healthy and so am I. $2 m%s % and cla%s her hands.& (hristine/ (hristine/ it's !ood to be alive and ha%%y/55) t how horrid of me3 I am talkin! of nothin! b t my own affairs. $,its on a stool near her, and rests her arms on her knees.& .o m stn't be an!ry with me. Tell me, is it really tr e that yo did not love yo r h sband* 1hy did yo marry him* MR,. LIND+. My mother was alive then, and was bedridden and hel%less, and I had to %rovide for my two yo n!er brothers3 so I did not think I was 8 stified in ref sin! his offer. N'R". No, %erha%s yo were 0 ite ri!ht. He was rich at that time, then* MR,. LIND+. I believe he was 0 ite well off. ) t his b siness was a %recario s one3 and, when he died, it all went to %ieces and there was nothin! left. N'R". "nd then*55 MR,. LIND+. 1ell, I had to t rn my hand to anythin! I co ld find5 5first a small sho%, then a small school, and so on. The last three years have seemed like one lon! workin!5day, with no rest. Now it is at an end, Nora. My %oor mother needs me no more, for she is !one3 and the boys do not need me either3 they have !ot sit ations and can shift for themselves. N'R". 1hat a relief yo m st feel if55 MR,. LIND+. No, indeed3 I only feel my life ns%eakably em%ty. No one to live for anymore. $;ets % restlessly.& That was why I co ld not stand the life in my little backwater any lon!er. I ho%e it may be easier here to find somethin! which will b sy me and occ %y my tho !hts. If only I co ld have the !ood l ck to !et some re! lar work55office work of some kind55 N'R". ) t, (hristine, that is so fri!htf lly tirin!, and yo look tired o t now. .o had far better !o away to some waterin!5%lace. MR,. LIND+ $walkin! to the window&. I have no father to !ive me money for a 8o rney, Nora.

N'R". $risin!&. 'h, don't be an!ry with me/ MR,. LIND+ $!oin! % to her&. It is yo that m st not be an!ry with me, dear. The worst of a %osition like mine is that it makes one so bitter. No one to work for, and yet obli!ed to be always on the looko t for chances. 'ne m st live, and so one becomes selfish. 1hen yo told me of the ha%%y t rn yo r fort nes have taken55 yo will hardly believe it55I was deli!hted not so m ch on yo r acco nt as on my own. N'R". How do yo mean*55'h, I nderstand. .o mean that %erha%s Torvald co ld !et yo somethin! to do. MR,. LIND+. .es, that was what I was thinkin! of. N'R". He m st, (hristine. 2 st leave it to me3 I will broach the s b8ect very cleverly55I will think of somethin! that will %lease him very m ch. It will make me so ha%%y to be of some se to yo . MR,. LIND+. How kind yo are, Nora, to be so an-io s to hel% me/ It is do bly kind in yo , for yo know so little of the b rdens and tro bles of life. N'R". I55* I know so little of them* MR,. LIND+ $smilin!&. My dear/ ,mall ho sehold cares and that sort of thin!/55.o are a child, Nora. N'R". $tosses her head and crosses the sta!e&. .o o !ht not to be so s %erior. MR,. LIND+. No* N'R". .o are 8 st like the others. They all think that I am inca%able of anythin! really serio s55 MR,. LIND+. (ome, come55 N'R".

55that I have !one thro !h nothin! in this world of cares. MR,. LIND+. ) t, my dear Nora, yo have 8 st told me all yo r tro bles. N'R". #ooh/55those were trifles. $Lowerin! her voice.& I have not told yo the im%ortant thin!. MR,. LIND+. The im%ortant thin!* 1hat do yo mean* N'R". .o look down %on me alto!ether, (hristine55b t yo o !ht not to. .o are %ro d, aren't yo , of havin! worked so hard and so lon! for yo r mother* MR,. LIND+. Indeed, I don't look down on anyone. ) t it is tr e that I am both %ro d and !lad to think that I was %rivile!ed to make the end of my mother's life almost free from care. N'R". "nd yo are %ro d to think of what yo have done for yo r brothers* MR,. LIND+. I think I have the ri!ht to be. N'R". I think so, too. ) t now, listen to this3 I too have somethin! to be %ro d and !lad of. MR,. LIND+. I have no do bt yo have. ) t what do yo refer to* N'R". ,%eak low. , %%ose Torvald were to hear/ He m stn't on any acco nt55no one in the world m st know, (hristine, e-ce%t yo . MR,. LIND+. ) t what is it* NORA. (ome here. $# lls her down on the sofa beside her.& Now I will show yo that I too have somethin! to be %ro d and !lad of. It was I who saved Torvald's life. MR,. LIND+. :,aved:* How* N'R".

I told yo abo t o r tri% to Italy. Torvald wo ld never have recovered if he had not !one there55 MR,. LIND+. .es, b t yo r father !ave yo the necessary f nds. N'R". $smilin!&. .es, that is what Torvald and all the others think, b t55 MR,. LIND+. ) t55 N'R". #a%a didn't !ive s a shillin!. It was I who %roc red the money. MR,. LIND+. .o * "ll that lar!e s m* N'R". Two h ndred and fifty %o nds. 1hat do yo think of that* MR,. LIND+. ) t, Nora, how co ld yo %ossibly do it* Did yo win a %ri<e in the Lottery* N'R". $contem%t o sly&. In the Lottery* There wo ld have been no credit in that. MR,. LIND+. ) t where did yo !et it from, then* Nora $h mmin! and smilin! with an air of mystery&. Hm, hm/ "ha/ MR,. LIND+. )eca se yo co ldn't have borrowed it. N'R". (o ldn't I* 1hy not* MR,. LIND+. No, a wife cannot borrow witho t her h sband's consent. N'R". $tossin! her head&. 'h, if it is a wife who has any head for b siness55a wife who has the wit to be a little bit clever55 MR,. LIND+. I don't nderstand it at all, Nora. N'R".

There is no need yo sho ld. I never said I had borrowed the money. I may have !ot it some other way. $Lies back on the sofa.& #erha%s I !ot it from some other admirer. 1hen anyone is as attractive as I am55 MR,. LIND+. .o are a mad creat re. N'R". Now, yo know yo 're f ll of c riosity, (hristine. MR,. LIND+. Listen to me, Nora dear. Haven't yo been a little bit im%r dent* N'R". $sits % strai!ht&. Is it im%r dent to save yo r h sband's life* MR,. LIND+. It seems to me im%r dent, witho t his knowled!e, to55 N'R". ) t it was absol tely necessary that he sho ld not know/ My !oodness, can't yo nderstand that* It was necessary he sho ld have no idea what a dan!ero s condition he was in. It was to me that the doctors came and said that his life was in dan!er, and that the only thin! to save him was to live in the so th. Do yo s %%ose I didn't try, first of all, to !et what I wanted as if it were for myself* I told him how m ch I sho ld love to travel abroad like other yo n! wives3 I tried tears and entreaties with him3 I told him that he o !ht to remember the condition I was in, and that he o !ht to be kind and ind l!ent to me3 I even hinted that he mi!ht raise a loan. That nearly made him an!ry, (hristine. He said I was tho !htless, and that it was his d ty as my h sband not to ind l!e me in my whims and ca%rices55as I believe he called them. 6ery well, I tho !ht, yo m st be saved55and that was how I came to devise a way o t of the diffic lty55 MR,. LIND+. "nd did yo r h sband never !et to know from yo r father that the money had not come from him* N'R". No, never. #a%a died 8 st at that time. I had meant to let him into the secret and be! him never to reveal it. ) t he was so ill then55alas, there never was any need to tell him. MR,. LIND+. "nd since then have yo never told yo r secret to yo r h sband*

N'R". ;ood Heavens, no/ How co ld yo think so* " man who has s ch stron! o%inions abo t these thin!s/ "nd besides, how %ainf l and h miliatin! it wo ld be for Torvald, with his manly inde%endence, to know that he owed me anythin!/ It wo ld %set o r m t al relations alto!ether3 o r bea tif l ha%%y home wo ld no lon!er be what it is now. MR,. LIND+. Do yo mean never to tell him abo t it* N'R". $meditatively, and with a half smile&. .es55someday, %erha%s, after many years, when I am no lon!er as nice5lookin! as I am now. Don't la !h at me/ I mean, of co rse, when Torvald is no lon!er as devoted to me as he is now3 when my dancin! and dressin!5 % and recitin! have %alled on him3 then it may be a !ood thin! to have somethin! in reserve55$)reakin! off.& 1hat nonsense/ That time will never come. Now, what do yo think of my !reat secret, (hristine* Do yo still think I am of no se* I can tell yo , too, that this affair has ca sed me a lot of worry. It has been by no means easy for me to meet my en!a!ements % nct ally. I may tell yo that there is somethin! that is called, in b siness, 0 arterly interest, and another thin! called %ayment in installments, and it is always so dreadf lly diffic lt to mana!e them. I have had to save a little here and there, where I co ld, yo nderstand. I have not been able to % t aside m ch from my ho sekee%in! money, for Torvald m st have a !ood table. I co ldn't let my children be shabbily dressed3 I have felt obli!ed to se % all he !ave me for them, the sweet little darlin!s/ MR,. LIND+. ,o it has all had to come o t of yo r own necessaries of life, %oor Nora* N'R". 'f co rse. )esides, I was the one res%onsible for it. 1henever Torvald has !iven me money for new dresses and s ch thin!s, I have never s%ent more than half of it3 I have always bo !ht the sim%lest and chea%est thin!s. Thank Heaven, any clothes look well on me, and so Torvald has never noticed it. ) t it was often very hard on me, (hristine55beca se it is deli!htf l to be really well dressed, isn't it* MR,. LIND+. = ite so. N'R".

1ell, then I have fo nd other ways of earnin! money. Last winter I was l cky eno !h to !et a lot of co%yin! to do3 so I locked myself % and sat writin! every evenin! ntil 0 ite late at ni!ht. Many a time I was des%erately tired3 b t all the same it was a tremendo s %leas re to sit there workin! and earnin! money. It was like bein! a man. MR,. LIND+. How m ch have yo been able to %ay off in that way* N'R". I can't tell yo e-actly. .o see, it is very diffic lt to kee% an acco nt of a b siness matter of that kind. I only know that I have %aid every %enny that I co ld scra%e to!ether. Many a time I was at my wits' end. $,miles.& Then I sed to sit here and ima!ine that a rich old !entleman had fallen in love with me55 MR,. LIND+. 1hat/ 1ho was it* N'R". )e 0 iet/55that he had died3 and that when his will was o%ened it contained, written in bi! letters, the instr ction> :The lovely Mrs. Nora Helmer is to have all I %ossess %aid over to her at once in cash.: MR,. LIND+. ) t, my dear Nora55who co ld the man be* N'R". ;ood !racio s, can't yo nderstand* There was no old !entleman at all3 it was only somethin! that I sed to sit here and ima!ine, when I co ldn't think of any way of %roc rin! money. ) t it's all the same now3 the tiresome old %erson can stay where he is, as far as I am concerned3 I don't care abo t him or his will either, for I am free from care now. $2 m%s %.& My !oodness, it's deli!htf l to think of, (hristine/ 7ree from care/ To be able to be free from care, 0 ite free from care3 to be able to %lay and rom% with the children3 to be able to kee% the ho se bea tif lly and have everythin! 8 st as Torvald likes it/ "nd, think of it, soon the s%rin! will come and the bi! bl e sky/ #erha%s we shall be able to take a little tri%55%erha%s I shall see the sea a!ain/ 'h, it's a wonderf l thin! to be alive and be ha%%y. $" bell is heard in the hall.& MR,. LIND+ $risin!&. There is the bell3 %erha%s I had better !o.

N'R". No, don't !o3 no one will come in here3 it is s re to be for Torvald. ,+R6"NT. $at the hall door&. +-c se me, ma'am55there is a !entleman to see the master, and as the doctor is with him55 N'R". 1ho is it* 9R';,T"D. $at the door&. It is I, Mrs. Helmer. $Mrs. LIND+ starts, trembles, and t rns to the window.& N'R" $takes a ste% towards him, and s%eaks in a strained, low voice&. .o * 1hat is it* 1hat do yo want to see my h sband abo t* 9R';,T"D. )ank b siness55in a way. I have a small %ost in the )ank, and I hear yo r h sband is to be o r chief now55 N'R". Then it is55 9R';,T"D. Nothin! b t dry b siness matters, Mrs. Helmer3 absol tely nothin! else. N'R". )e so !ood as to !o into the st dy, then. $,he bows indifferently to him and sh ts the door into the hall3 then comes back and makes % the fire in the stove.& MR,. LIND+. Nora55who was that man* N'R". " lawyer, of the name of 9ro!stad. MR,. LIND+. Then it really was he. N'R". Do yo know the man* MR,. LIND+. I sed to55many years a!o. "t one time he was a solicitor's clerk in o r town. N'R".

.es, he was. MR,. LIND+. He is !reatly altered. N'R". He made a very nha%%y marria!e. MR,. LIND+. He is a widower now, isn't he* N'R". 1ith several children. There now, it is b rnin! %. ,h ts the door of the stove and moves the rockin!5chair aside.& MR,. LIND+. They say he carries on vario s kinds of b siness. N'R". Really/ #erha%s he does3 I don't know anythin! abo t it. ) t don't let s think of b siness3 it is so tiresome. D'(T'R R"N9 $comes o t of H+LM+R', st dy. )efore he sh ts the door he calls to him&. No, my dear fellow, I won't dist rb yo 3 I wo ld rather !o in to yo r wife for a little while. $,h ts the door and sees Mrs. LIND+.& I be! yo r %ardon3 I am afraid I am dist rbin! yo too. N'R". No, not at all. $Introd cin! him&. Doctor Rank, Mrs. Linde. R"N9. I have often heard Mrs. Linde's name mentioned here. I think I %assed yo on the stairs when I arrived, Mrs. Linde* MR,. LIND+. .es, I !o % very slowly3 I can't mana!e stairs well. R"N9. "h/ some sli!ht internal weakness* MR,. LIND+. No, the fact is I have been overworkin! myself. R"N9.

Nothin! more than that* Then I s %%ose yo have come to town to am se yo rself with o r entertainments* MR,. LIND+. I have come to look for work. R"N9. Is that a !ood c re for overwork* MR,. LIND+. 'ne m st live, Doctor Rank. R"N9. .es, the !eneral o%inion seems to be that it is necessary. N'R". Look here, Doctor Rank55yo know yo want to live. R"N9. (ertainly. However wretched I may feel, I want to %rolon! the a!ony as lon! as %ossible. "ll my %atients are like that. "nd so are those who are morally diseased3 one of them, and a bad case too, is at this very moment with Helmer55 MR,. LIND+ $sadly&. "h/ N'R". 1hom do yo mean* R"N9. " lawyer of the name of 9ro!stad, a fellow yo don't know at all. He s ffers from a diseased moral character, Mrs. Helmer3 b t even he be!an talkin! of its bein! hi!hly im%ortant that he sho ld live. N'R". Did he* 1hat did he want to s%eak to Torvald abo t* R"N9. I have no idea3 I only heard that it was somethin! abo t the )ank. N'R". I didn't know this55what's his name559ro!stad had anythin! to do with the )ank. R"N9.

.es, he has some sort of a%%ointment there. $To Mrs. LIND+.& I don't know whether yo find also in yo r %art of the world that there are certain %eo%le who !o <ealo sly sn ffin! abo t to smell o t moral corr %tion, and, as soon as they have fo nd some, % t the %erson concerned into some l crative %osition where they can kee% their eye on him. Healthy nat res are left o t in the cold. MR,. LIND+. ,till I think the sick are those who most need takin! care of. R"N9. $shr !!in! his sho lders&. .es, there yo are. That is the sentiment that is t rnin! ,ociety into a sick5ho se. $N'R", who has been absorbed in her tho !hts, breaks o t into smothered la !hter and cla%s her hands.& R"N9. 1hy do yo la !h at that* Have yo any notion what ,ociety really is* N'R". 1hat do I care abo t tiresome ,ociety* I am la !hin! at somethin! 0 ite different, somethin! e-tremely am sin!. Tell me, Doctor Rank, are all the %eo%le who are em%loyed in the )ank de%endent on Torvald now* R"N9. Is that what yo find so e-tremely am sin!* N'R". $smilin! and h mmin!&. That's my affair/ $1alkin! abo t the room.& It's %erfectly !lorio s to think that we have55that Torvald has so m ch %ower over so many %eo%le. $Takes the %acket from her %ocket.& Doctor Rank, what do yo say to a macaroon* R"N9. 1hat, macaroons* I tho !ht they were forbidden here. N'R". .es, b t these are some (hristine !ave me. MR,. LIND+. 1hat/ I*55 N'R".

'h, well, don't be alarmed/ .o co ldn't know that Torvald had forbidden them. I m st tell yo that he is afraid they will s%oil my teeth. ) t, bah/55once in a way55That's so, isn't it, Doctor Rank* )y yo r leave/ $# ts a macaroon into his mo th.& .o m st have one too, (hristine. "nd I shall have one, 8 st a little one55or at most two. $1alkin! abo t.& I am tremendo sly ha%%y. There is 8 st one thin! in the world now that I sho ld dearly love to do. R"N9. 1ell, what is that* N'R". It's somethin! I sho ld dearly love to say, if Torvald co ld hear me. R"N9. 1ell, why can't yo say it* N'R". No, I daren't3 it's so shockin!. MR,. LIND+. ,hockin!* R"N9. 1ell, I sho ld not advise yo to say it. ,till, with s yo mi!ht. 1hat is it yo wo ld so m ch like to say if Torvald co ld hear yo * N'R". I sho ld 8 st love to say551ell, I'm damned/ R"N9. "re yo mad* MR,. LIND+. Nora, dear55/ R"N9. ,ay it, here he is/ N'R". $hidin! the %acket&. H sh/ H sh/ H sh/ $H+LM+R comes o t of his room, with his coat over his arm and his hat in his hand.& N'R". 1ell, Torvald dear, have yo !ot rid of him*

H+LM+R. .es, he has 8 st !one. N'R". Let me introd ce yo 55this is (hristine, who has come to town. H+LM+R. (hristine55* +-c se me, b t I don't know55 N'R". Mrs. Linde, dear3 (hristine Linde. H+LM+R. 'f co rse. " school friend of my wife's, I %res me* MR,. LIND+. .es, we have known each other since then. N'R". "nd 8 st think, she has taken a lon! 8o rney in order to see yo . H+LM+R. 1hat do yo mean* Mrs. Linde. No, really, I55 N'R". (hristine is tremendo sly clever at book5kee%in!, and she is fri!htf lly an-io s to work nder some clever man, so as to %erfect herself55 H+LM+R. 6ery sensible, Mrs. Linde. N'R". "nd when she heard yo had been a%%ointed mana!er of the )ank55the news was tele!ra%hed, yo know55she travelled here as 0 ick as she co ld. Torvald, I am s re yo will be able to do somethin! for (hristine, for my sake, won't yo * H+LM+R. 1ell, it is not alto!ether im%ossible. I %res me yo are a widow, Mrs. Linde* MR,. LIND+. .es. H+LM+R. "nd have had some e-%erience of book5kee%in!*

MR,. LIND+. .es, a fair amo nt. H+LM+R. "h/ well, it's very likely I may be able to find somethin! for yo 55 N'R". $cla%%in! her hands&. 1hat did I tell yo * 1hat did I tell yo * H+LM+R. .o have 8 st come at a fort nate moment, Mrs. Linde. MR,. LIND+. How am I to thank yo * H+LM+R. There is no need. $# ts on his coat.& ) t today yo m st e-c se me55 R"N9. 1ait a min te3 I will come with yo . $)rin!s his f r coat from the hall and warms it at the fire.& N'R". Don't be lon! away, Torvald dear. H+LM+R. "bo t an ho r, not more. N'R". "re yo !oin! too, (hristine* MR,. LIND+ $% ttin! on her cloak&. .es, I m st !o and look for a room. H+LM+R. 'h, well then, we can walk down the street to!ether. N'R". $hel%in! her&. 1hat a %ity it is we are so short of s%ace here3 I am afraid it is im%ossible for s55 MR,. LIND+. #lease don't think of it/ ;oodbye, Nora dear, and many thanks. N'R".

;oodbye for the %resent. 'f co rse yo will come back this evenin!. "nd yo too, Dr. Rank. 1hat do yo say* If yo are well eno !h* 'h, yo m st be/ 1ra% yo rself % well. $They !o to the door all talkin! to!ether. (hildren's voices are heard on the staircase.& N'R". There they are/ There they are/ $,he r ns to o%en the door. The N?R,+ comes in with the children.& (ome in/ (ome in/ $,too%s and kisses them.& 'h, yo sweet blessin!s/ Look at them, (hristine/ "ren't they darlin!s* R"N9. Don't let s stand here in the dra !ht. H+LM+R. (ome alon!, Mrs. Linde3 the %lace will only be bearable for a mother now/ $R"N9, H+LM+R, and Mrs. LIND+ !o downstairs. The N?R,+ comes forward with the children3 N'R" sh ts the hall door.& N'R". How fresh and well yo look/ , ch red cheeks like a%%les and roses. $The children all talk at once while she s%eaks to them.& Have yo had !reat f n* That's s%lendid/ 1hat, yo % lled both +mmy and )ob alon! on the sled!e* 55both at once*55that was !ood. .o are a clever boy, Ivar. Let me take her for a little, "nne. My sweet little baby doll/ $Takes the baby from the M"ID and dances it % and down.& .es, yes, mother will dance with )ob too. 1hat/ Have yo been snowballin!* I wish I had been there too/ No, no, I will take their thin!s off, "nne3 %lease let me do it, it is s ch f n. ;o in now, yo look half fro<en. There is some hot coffee for yo on the stove. $The N?R,+ !oes into the room on the left. N'R" takes off the children's thin!s and throws them abo t, while they all talk to her at once.& N'R". Really/ Did a bi! do! r n after yo * ) t it didn't bite yo * No, do!s don't bite nice little dolly children. .o m stn't look at the %arcels, Ivar. 1hat are they* "h, I daresay yo wo ld like to know. No, no55it's somethin! nasty/ (ome, let s have a !ame/ 1hat shall we %lay at* Hide and ,eek* .es, we'll %lay Hide and ,eek. )ob shall hide first. M st I hide* 6ery well, I'll hide first. $,he and the children la !h and sho t, and rom% in and o t of the room3 at last N'R" hides nder the table, the children r sh in and o t for her, b t do not see her3 they hear her smothered la !hter, r n to the table, lift % the cloth and find her. ,ho ts of la !hter. ,he crawls forward and %retends

to fri!hten them. 7resh la !hter. Meanwhile there has been a knock at the hall door, b t none of them has noticed it. The door is half o%ened, and 9R';,T"D a%%ears, lie waits a little3 the !ame !oes on.& 9R';,T"D. +-c se me, Mrs. Helmer. N'R" $with a stifled cry, t rns ro nd and !ets % on to her knees&. "h/ what do yo want* 9R';,T"D. +-c se me, the o ter door was a8ar3 I s %%ose someone for!ot to sh t it. N'R". $risin!&. My h sband is o t, Mr. 9ro!stad. 9R';,T"D. I know that. N'R". 1hat do yo want here, then* 9R';,T"D. " word with yo . N'R". 1ith me*55$To the children, !ently.& ;o in to n rse. 1hat* No, the stran!e man won't do mother any harm. 1hen he has !one we will have another !ame. $,he takes the children into the room on the left, and sh ts the door after them.& .o want to s%eak to me* 9R';,T"D. .es, I do. N'R". Today* It is not the first of the month yet. 9R';,T"D. No, it is (hristmas +ve, and it will de%end on yo rself what sort of a (hristmas yo will s%end. N'R". 1hat do yo mean* Today it is absol tely im%ossible for me55 9R';,T"D.

1e won't talk abo t that ntil later on. This is somethin! different. I %res me yo can !ive me a moment* N'R". .es55yes, I can55altho !h55 9R';,T"D. ;ood. I was in 'lsen's Resta rant and saw yo r h sband !oin! down the street55 N'R". .es* 9R';,T"D. 1ith a lady. N'R". 1hat then* 9R';,T"D. May I make so bold as to ask if it was a Mrs. Linde* N'R". It was. 9R';,T"D. 2 st arrived in town* N'R". .es, today. 9R';,T"D. ,he is a !reat friend of yo rs, isn't she* N'R". ,he is. ) t I don't see55 9R';,T"D. I knew her too, once %on a time. N'R". I am aware of that. 9R';,T"D. "re yo * ,o yo know all abo t it3 I tho !ht as m ch. Then I can ask yo , witho t beatin! abo t the b sh55is Mrs. Linde to have an a%%ointment in the )ank*

N'R". 1hat ri!ht have yo to 0 estion me, Mr. 9ro!stad*55.o , one of my h sband's s bordinates/ ) t since yo ask, yo shall know. .es, Mrs. Linde is to have an a%%ointment. "nd it was I who %leaded her ca se, Mr. 9ro!stad, let me tell yo that. 9R';,T"D. I was ri!ht in what I tho !ht, then. N'R". $walkin! % and down the sta!e&. ,ometimes one has a tiny little bit of infl ence, I sho ld ho%e. )eca se one is a woman, it does not necessarily follow that55. 1hen anyone is in a s bordinate %osition, Mr. 9ro!stad, they sho ld really be caref l to avoid offendin! anyone who55who55 9R';,T"D. 1ho has infl ence* N'R". +-actly. 9R';,T"D. $chan!in! his tone&. Mrs. Helmer, yo will be so !ood as to se yo r infl ence on my behalf. N'R". 1hat* 1hat do yo mean* 9R';,T"D. .o will be so kind as to see that I am allowed to kee% my s bordinate %osition in the )ank. N'R". 1hat do yo mean by that* 1ho %ro%oses to take yo r %ost away from yo * 9R';,T"D. 'h, there is no necessity to kee% % the %retence of i!norance. I can 0 ite nderstand that yo r friend is not very an-io s to e-%ose herself to the chance of r bbin! sho lders with me3 and I 0 ite nderstand, too, whom I have to thank for bein! t rned off. N'R". ) t I ass re yo 55 9R';,T"D. 6ery likely3 b t, to come to the %oint, the time has come when I sho ld advise yo to se yo r infl ence to %revent that.

N'R". ) t, Mr. 9ro!stad, I have no infl ence. 9R';,T"D. Haven't yo * I tho !ht yo said yo rself 8 st now55 N'R". Nat rally I did not mean yo to % t that constr ction on it. I/ 1hat sho ld make yo think I have any infl ence of that kind with my h sband* 9R';,T"D. 'h, I have known yo r h sband from o r st dent days. I don't s %%ose he is any more nassailable than other h sbands. N'R". If yo s%eak sli!htin!ly of my h sband, I shall t rn yo o t of the ho se. 9R';,T"D. .o are bold, Mrs. Helmer. N'R". I am not afraid of yo any lon!er. "s soon as the New .ear comes, I shall in a very short time be free of the whole thin!. 9R';,T"D $controllin! himself&. Listen to me, Mrs. Helmer. If necessary& I am %re%ared to fi!ht for my small %ost in the )ank as if I were fi!htin! for my life. N'R". ,o it seems. 9R';,T"D. It is not only for the sake of the money3 indeed, that wei!hs least with me in the matter. There is another reason55 well, I may as well tell yo . My %osition is this. I daresay yo know, like everybody else, that once, many years a!o, I was ! ilty of an indiscretion. N'R". I think I have heard somethin! of the kind. 9R';,T"D. The matter never came into co rt3 b t every way seemed to be closed to me after that. ,o I took to the b siness that yo know of. I had to do somethin!3 and, honestly, I don't think I've been one of

the worst. ) t now I m st c t myself free from all that. My sons are !rowin! %3 for their sake I m st try and win back as m ch res%ect as I can in the town. This %ost in the )ank was like the first ste% % for me55and now yo r h sband is !oin! to kick me downstairs a!ain into the m d. N'R". ) t yo m st believe me, Mr. 9ro!stad3 it is not in my %ower to hel% yo at all. 9R';,T"D. Then it is beca se yo haven't the will3 b t I have means to com%el yo . N'R". .o don't mean that yo will tell my h sband that I owe yo money* 9R';,T"D. Hm/55s %%ose I were to tell him* N'R". It wo ld be %erfectly infamo s of yo . $,obbin!.& To think of his learnin! my secret, which has been my 8oy and %ride, in s ch an !ly, cl msy way55that he sho ld learn it from yo / "nd it wo ld % t me in a horribly disa!reeable %osition55 9R';,T"D. 'nly disa!reeable* N'R". $im%et o sly&. 1ell, do it, then/55and it will be the worse for yo . My h sband will see for himself what a black! ard yo are, and yo certainly won't kee% yo r %ost then. 9R';,T"D. I asked yo if it was only a disa!reeable scene at home that yo were afraid of* N'R". If my h sband does !et to know of it, of co rse he will at once %ay yo what is still owin!, and we shall have nothin! more to do with yo . 9R';,T"D $comin! a ste% nearer&. Listen to me, Mrs. Helmer. +ither yo have a very bad memory or yo know very little of b siness. I shall be obli!ed to remind yo of a few details. N'R". 1hat do yo mean* 9R';,T"D.

1hen yo r h sband was ill, yo came to me to borrow two h ndred and fifty %o nds. N'R". I didn't know anyone else to !o to. 9R';,T"D. I %romised to !et yo that amo nt55 N'R". .es, and yo did so. 9R';,T"D. I %romised to !et yo that amo nt, on certain conditions. .o r mind was so taken % with yo r h sband's illness, and yo were so an-io s to !et the money for yo r 8o rney, that yo seem to have %aid no attention to the conditions of o r bar!ain. Therefore it will not be amiss if I remind yo of them. Now, I %romised to !et the money on the sec rity of a bond which I drew %. N'R". .es, and which I si!ned. 9R';,T"D. ;ood. ) t below yo r si!nat re there were a few lines constit tin! yo r father a s rety for the money3 those lines yo r father sho ld have si!ned. N'R". ,ho ld* He did si!n them. 9R';,T"D. I had left the date blank3 that is to say, yo r father sho ld himself have inserted the date on which he si!ned the %a%er. Do yo remember that* N'R". .es, I think I remember55 9R';,T"D. Then I !ave yo the bond to send by %ost to yo r father. Is that not so* N'R". .es. 9R';,T"D. "nd yo nat rally did so at once, beca se five or si- days afterwards yo bro !ht me the bond with yo r father's si!nat re. "nd then I !ave yo the money.

N'R". 1ell, haven't I been %ayin! it off re! larly* 9R';,T"D. 7airly so, yes. ) t55to come back to the matter in hand55that m st have been a very tryin! time for yo , Mrs. Helmer* N'R". It was, indeed. 9R';,T"D. .o r father was very ill, wasn't he* N'R". He was very near his end. 9R';,T"D. "nd died soon afterwards* N'R". .es. 9R';,T"D. Tell me, Mrs. Helmer, can yo by any chance remember what day yo r father died*55on what day of the month, I mean. N'R". #a%a died on the @Ath of ,e%tember. 9R';,T"D. That is correct3 I have ascertained it for myself. "nd, as that is so, there is a discre%ancy $takin! a %a%er from his %ocket& which I cannot acco nt for. N'R". 1hat discre%ancy* I don't know55 9R';,T"D. The discre%ancy consists, Mrs. Helmer, in the fact that yo r father si!ned this bond three days after his death. N'R". 1hat do yo mean* I don't nderstand55 9R';,T"D.

.o r father died on the @Ath of ,e%tember. ) t, look here3 yo r father has dated his si!nat re the @nd of 'ctober. It is a discre%ancy, isn't it* $N'R" is silent.& (an yo e-%lain it to me* $N'R" is still silent.& It is a remarkable thin!, too, that the words :@nd of 'ctober,: as well as the year, are not written in yo r father's handwritin! b t in one that I think I know. 1ell, of co rse it can be e-%lained3 yo r father may have for!otten to date his si!nat re, and someone else may have dated it ha%ha<ard before they knew of his death. There is no harm in that. It all de%ends on the si!nat re of the name3 and that is !en ine, I s %%ose, Mrs. Helmer* It was yo r father himself who si!ned his name here* N'R" $after a short %a se, throws her head % and looks defiantly at him&. No, it was not. It was I that wrote %a%a's name. 9R';,T"D. "re yo aware that is a dan!ero s confession* N'R". In what way* .o shall have yo r money soon. 9R';,T"D. Let me ask yo a 0 estion3 why did yo not send the %a%er to yo r father* N'R". It was im%ossible3 %a%a was so ill. If I had asked him for his si!nat re, I sho ld have had to tell him what the money was to be sed for3 and when he was so ill himself I co ldn't tell him that my h sband's life was in dan!er55it was im%ossible. 9R';,T"D. It wo ld have been better for yo if yo had !iven % yo r tri% abroad. N'R". No, that was im%ossible. That tri% was to save my h sband's life3 I co ldn't !ive that %. 9R';,T"D. ) t did it never occ r to yo that yo were committin! a fra d on me* N'R". I co ldn't take that into acco nt3 I didn't tro ble myself abo t yo at all. I co ldn't bear yo , beca se yo % t so many heartless diffic lties in my way, altho !h yo knew what a dan!ero s condition my h sband was in. 9R';,T"D.

Mrs. Helmer, yo evidently do not realise clearly what it is that yo have been ! ilty of. ) t I can ass re yo that my one false ste%, which lost me all my re% tation, was nothin! more or nothin! worse than what yo have done. N'R". .o * Do yo ask me to believe that yo were brave eno !h to r n a risk to save yo r wife's life* 9R';,T"D. The law cares nothin! abo t motives. N'R". Then it m st be a very foolish law. 9R';,T"D. 7oolish or not, it is the law by which yo will be 8 d!ed, if I %rod ce this %a%er in co rt. N'R". I don't believe it. Is a da !hter not to be allowed to s%are her dyin! father an-iety and care* Is a wife not to be allowed to save her h sband's life* I don't know m ch abo t law3 b t I am certain that there m st be laws %ermittin! s ch thin!s as that. Have yo no knowled!e of s ch laws55yo who are a lawyer* .o m st be a very %oor lawyer, Mr. 9ro!stad. 9R';,T"D. Maybe. ) t matters of b siness55s ch b siness as yo and I have had to!ether55do yo think I don't nderstand that* 6ery well. Do as yo %lease. ) t let me tell yo this55if I lose my %osition a second time, yo shall lose yo rs with me. $He bows, and !oes o t thro !h the hall.& N'R" $a%%ears b ried in tho !ht for a short time, then tosses her head&. Nonsense/ Tryin! to fri!hten me like that/55I am not so silly as he thinks. $)e!ins to b sy herself % ttin! the children's thin!s in order.& "nd yet55* No, it's im%ossible/ I did it for love's sake. TH+ (HILDR+N $in the doorway on the left&. Mother, the stran!er man has !one o t thro !h the !ate. N'R". .es, dears, I know. ) t, don't tell anyone abo t the stran!er man. Do yo hear* Not even %a%a. (HILDR+N. No, mother3 b t will yo come and %lay a!ain* N'R". No, no,55not now.

(HILDR+N. ) t, mother, yo %romised s. N'R". .es, b t I can't now. R n away in3 I have s ch a lot to do. R n away in, my sweet little darlin!s. $,he !ets them into the room by de!rees and sh ts the door on them3 then sits down on the sofa, takes % a %iece of needlework and sews a few stitches, b t soon sto%s.& No/ $Throws down the work, !ets %, !oes to the hall door and calls o t.& Helen/ brin! the Tree in. $;oes to the table on the left, o%ens a drawer, and sto%s a!ain.& No, no/ it is 0 ite im%ossible/ M"ID. $comin! in with the Tree&. 1here shall I % t it, ma'am* N'R". Here, in the middle of the floor. M"ID. ,hall I !et yo anythin! else* N'R". No, thank yo . I have all I want. B+-it M"ID.C N'R". $be!ins dressin! the tree&. " candle here5and flowers here55 The horrible man/ It's all nonsense55there's nothin! wron!. The tree shall be s%lendid/ I will do everythin! I can think of to %lease yo , Torvald/55I will sin! for yo , dance for yo 55$H+LM+R comes in with some %a%ers nder his arm.& 'h/ are yo back already*. H+LM+R. .es. Has anyone been here* N'R". Here* No. H+LM+R. That is stran!e. I saw 9ro!stad !oin! o t of the !ate. N'R". Did yo * 'h yes, I for!ot, 9ro!stad was here for a moment. H+LM+R. Nora, I can see from yo r manner that he has been here be!!in! yo to say a !ood word for him.

N'R". .es. H+LM+R. "nd yo were to a%%ear to do it of yo r own accord3 yo were to conceal from me the fact of his havin! been here3 didn't he be! that of yo too* N'R". .es, Torvald, b t55 H+LM+R. Nora, Nora, and yo wo ld be a %arty to that sort of thin!* To have any talk with a man like that, and !ive him any sort of %romise* "nd to tell me a lie into the bar!ain* N'R". " lie55* H+LM+R. Didn't yo tell me no one had been here* $,hakes his fin!er at her.& My little son!bird m st never do that a!ain. " son!bird m st have a clean beak to chir% with55no false notes/ $# ts his arm ro nd her waist.& That is so, isn't it* .es, I am s re it is. $Lets her !o.& 1e will say no more abo t it. $,its down by the stove.& How warm and sn ! it is here/ $T rns over his %a%ers.& N'R" $after a short %a se, d rin! which she b sies herself with the (hristmas Tree.& Torvald/ H+LM+R. .es. N'R". I am lookin! forward tremendo sly to the fancy5dress ball at the ,tenbor!s' the day after tomorrow. H+LM+R. "nd I am tremendo sly c rio s to see what yo are !oin! to s r%rise me with. N'R". It was very silly of me to want to do that. H+LM+R. 1hat do yo mean* N'R". I can't hit %on anythin! that will do3 everythin! I think of seems so silly and insi!nificant.

H+LM+R. Does my little Nora acknowled!e that at last* N'R" $standin! behind his chair with her arms on the back of it&. "re yo very b sy, Torvald* H+LM+R. 1ell55 N'R". 1hat are all those %a%ers* H+LM+R. )ank b siness. N'R". "lready* H+LM+R. I have !ot a thority from the retirin! mana!er to ndertake the necessary chan!es in the staff and in the rearran!ement of the work3 and I m st make se of the (hristmas week for that, so as to have everythin! in order for the new year. N'R". Then that was why this %oor 9ro!stad55 H+LM+R. Hm/ N'R" $leans a!ainst the back of his chair and strokes his hair&. If yo hadn't been so b sy I sho ld have asked yo a tremendo sly bi! favo r, Torvald. H+LM+R. 1hat is that* Tell me. N'R". There is no one has s ch !ood taste as yo . "nd I do so want to look nice at the fancy5dress ball. Torvald, co ldn't yo take me in hand and decide what I shall !o as, and what sort of a dress I shall wear* H+LM+R. "ha/ so my obstinate little woman is obli!ed to !et someone to come to her resc e* N'R".

.es, Torvald, I can't !et alon! a bit witho t yo r hel%. H+LM+R. 6ery well, I will think it over, we shall mana!e to hit %on somethin!. N'R". That is nice of yo . $;oes to the (hristmas Tree. " short %a se.& How %retty the red flowers look55. ) t, tell me, was it really somethin! very bad that this 9ro!stad was ! ilty of* H+LM+R. He for!ed someone's name. Have yo any idea what that means* N'R". Isn't it %ossible that he was driven to do it by necessity* H+LM+R. .es3 or, as in so many cases, by im%r dence. I am not so heartless as to condemn a man alto!ether beca se of a sin!le false ste% of that kind. N'R". No, yo wo ldn't, wo ld yo , Torvald* H+LM+R. Many a man has been able to retrieve his character, if he has o%enly confessed his fa lt and taken his % nishment. N'R". # nishment55* H+LM+R. ) t 9ro!stad did nothin! of that sort3 he !ot himself o t of it by a c nnin! trick, and that is why he has !one nder alto!ether. N'R". ) t do yo think it wo ld55* H+LM+R. 2 st think how a ! ilty man like that has to lie and %lay the hy%ocrite with every one, how he has to wear a mask in the %resence of those near and dear to him, even before his own wife and children. "nd abo t the children55that is the most terrible %art of it all, Nora. N'R". How*

H+LM+R. )eca se s ch an atmos%here of lies infects and %oisons the whole life of a home. +ach breath the children take in s ch a ho se is f ll of the !erms of evil. N'R". $comin! nearer him&. "re yo s re of that* H+LM+R. My dear, I have often seen it in the co rse of my life as a lawyer. "lmost everyone who has !one to the bad early in life has had a deceitf l mother. N'R". 1hy do yo only say55mother* H+LM+R. It seems most commonly to be the mother's infl ence, tho !h nat rally a bad father's wo ld have the same res lt. +very lawyer is familiar with the fact. This 9ro!stad, now, has been %ersistently %oisonin! his own children with lies and dissim lation3 that is why I say he has lost all moral character. $Holds o t his hands to her.& That is why my sweet little Nora m st %romise me not to %lead his ca se. ;ive me yo r hand on it. (ome, come, what is this* ;ive me yo r hand. There now, that's settled. I ass re yo it wo ld be 0 ite im%ossible for me to work with him3 I literally feel %hysically ill when I am in the com%any of s ch %eo%le. N'R" $takes her hand o t of his and !oes to the o%%osite side of the (hristmas Tree&. How hot it is in here3 and I have s ch a lot to do. H+LM+R. $!ettin! % and % ttin! his %a%ers in order&. .es, and I m st try and read thro !h some of these before dinner3 and I m st think abo t yo r cost me, too. "nd it is 8 st %ossible I may have somethin! ready in !old %a%er to han! % on the Tree. $# ts his hand on her head.& My %recio s little sin!in!5bird/ $He !oes into his room and sh ts the door after him.& N'R". $after a %a se, whis%ers&. No, no55it isn't tr e. It's im%ossible3 it m st be im%ossible. $The N?R,+ o%ens the door on the left.& N?R,+. The little ones are be!!in! so hard to be allowed to come in to mamma. N'R".

No, no, no/ Don't let them come in to me/ .o stay with them, "nne. N?R,+. 6ery well, ma'am. $,h ts the door.& N'R". $%ale with terror&. De%rave my little children* #oison my home* $" short %a se. Then she tosses her head.& It's not tr e. It can't %ossibly be tr e. Act II (( E SA,E SCENE.--( E Christmas (ree is in the corner by the $iano, stri$$ed of its ornaments and #ith burnt-do#n candle-ends on its disheveled branches. N)*A!S cloak and hat are lying on the sofa. She is alone in the room, #alking about uneasily. She sto$s by the sofa and takes u$ her cloak.. N'R". $dro%s her cloak&. ,omeone is comin! now/ $;oes to the door and listens.& No55it is no one. 'f co rse, no one will come today, (hristmas Day55nor tomorrow either. ) t, %erha%s55$o%ens the door and looks o t&. No, nothin! in the letterbo-3 it is 0 ite em%ty. $(omes forward.& 1hat r bbish/ of co rse he can't be in earnest abo t it. , ch a thin! co ldn't ha%%en3 it is im%ossible55I have three little children. $+nter the N?R,+ from the room on the left, carryin! a bi! cardboard bo-.& N?R,+. "t last I have fo nd the bo- with the fancy dress. N'R". Thanks3 % t it on the table. N?R,+. $doin! so&. ) t it is very m ch in want of mendin!. N'R". I sho ld like to tear it into a h ndred tho sand %ieces. N?R,+. 1hat an idea/ It can easily be % t in order558 st a little %atience. N'R". .es, I will !o and !et Mrs. Linde to come and hel% me with it.

N?R,+. 1hat, o t a!ain* In this horrible weather* .o will catch cold, ma'am, and make yo rself ill. N'R". 1ell, worse than that mi!ht ha%%en. How are the children* N?R,+. The %oor little so ls are %layin! with their (hristmas %resents, b t55 N'R". Do they ask m ch for me* N?R,+. .o see, they are so acc stomed to have their mamma with them. N'R". .es, b t, n rse, I shall not be able to be so m ch with them now as I was before. N?R,+. 'h well, yo n! children easily !et acc stomed to anythin!. N'R". Do yo think so* Do yo think they wo ld for!et their mother if she went away alto!ether* N?R,+. ;ood heavens/55went away alto!ether* N'R". N rse, I want yo to tell me somethin! I have often wondered abo t55how co ld yo have the heart to % t yo r own child o t amon! stran!ers* N?R,+. I was obli!ed to, if I wanted to be little Nora's n rse. N'R". .es, b t how co ld yo be willin! to do it* N?R,+. 1hat, when I was !oin! to !et s ch a !ood %lace by it* " %oor !irl who has !ot into tro ble sho ld be !lad to. )esides, that wicked man didn't do a sin!le thin! for me. N'R". ) t I s %%ose yo r da !hter has 0 ite for!otten yo .

N?R,+. No, indeed she hasn't. ,he wrote to me when she was confirmed, and when she was married. N'R". $% ttin! her arms ro nd her neck&. Dear old "nne, yo were a !ood mother to me when I was little. N?R,+. Little Nora, %oor dear, had no other mother b t me. Nora. "nd if my little ones had no other mother, I am s re yo wo ld55 1hat nonsense I am talkin!/ $'%ens the bo-.& ;o in to them. Now I m st55. .o will see tomorrow how charmin! I shall look. N?R,+. I am s re there will be no one at the ball so charmin! as yo , ma'am. $;oes into the room on the left.& N'R" $be!ins to n%ack the bo-, b t soon % shes it away from her&. If only I dared !o o t. If only no one wo ld come. If only I co ld be s re nothin! wo ld ha%%en here in the meantime. ,t ff and nonsense/ No one will come. 'nly I m stn't think abo t it. I will br sh my m ff. 1hat lovely, lovely !loves/ ' t of my tho !hts, o t of my tho !hts/ 'ne, two, three, fo r, five, si-55 $,creams.& "h/ there is someone comin!55. $Makes a movement towards the door, b t stands irresol te.& $+nter MR,. LIND+ from the hall, where she has taken off her cloak and hat.& N'R". 'h, it's yo , (hristine. There is no one else o t there, is there* How !ood of yo to come/ MR,. LIND+. I heard yo were % askin! for me. N'R". .es, I was %assin! by. "s a matter of fact, it is somethin! yo co ld hel% me with. Let s sit down here on the sofa. Look here. Tomorrow evenin! there is to be a fancy5dress ball at the ,tenbor!s', who live above s3 and Torvald wants me to !o as a Nea%olitan fisher5!irl, and dance the Tarantella that I learned at (a%ri. MR,. LIND+. I see3 yo are !oin! to kee% % the character. N'R".

.es, Torvald wants me to. Look, here is the dress3 Torvald had it made for me there, b t now it is all so torn, and I haven't any idea55 MR,. LIND+. 1e will easily % t that ri!ht. It is only some of the trimmin! come nsewn here and there. Needle and thread* Now then, that's all we want. N'R". It is nice of yo . MR,. LIND+ $sewin!&. ,o yo are !oin! to be dressed % tomorrow N'R". I will tell yo what55I shall come in for a moment and see yo in yo r fine feathers. ) t I have com%letely for!otten to thank yo for a deli!htf l evenin! yesterday. N'R". $!ets %, and crosses the sta!e&. 1ell, I don't think yesterday was as %leasant as s al. .o o !ht to have come to town a little earlier, (hristine. (ertainly Torvald does nderstand how to make a ho se dainty and attractive. MR,. LIND+. "nd so do yo , it seems to me3 yo are not yo r father's da !hter for nothin!. ) t tell me, is Doctor Rank always as de%ressed as he was yesterday* N'R". No3 yesterday it was very noticeable. I m st tell yo that he s ffers from a very dan!ero s disease. He has cons m%tion of the s%ine, %oor creat re. His father was a horrible man who committed all sorts of e-cesses3 and that is why his son was sickly from childhood, do yo MR,. LIND+ $dro%%in! her sewin!&. ) t, my dearest Nora, how do yo know anythin! abo t s ch thin!s* N'R". $walkin! abo t&. #ooh/ 1hen yo have three children, yo !et visits now and then from55from married women, who know somethin! of medical matters, and they talk abo t one thin! and another. MR,. LIND+ $!oes on sewin!. " short silence&. Does Doctor Rank come here everyday* N'R". nderstand*

+veryday re! larly. He is Torvald's most intimate friend, and a !reat friend of mine too. He is 8 st like one of the family. MR,. LIND+. ) t tell me this55is he %erfectly sincere* I mean, isn't he the kind of man that is very an-io s to make himself a!reeable* N'R". Not in the least. 1hat makes yo think that* MR,. LIND+. 1hen yo introd ced him to me yesterday, he declared he had often heard my name mentioned in this ho se3 b t afterwards I noticed that yo r h sband hadn't the sli!htest idea who I was. ,o how co ld Doctor Rank55* N'R". That is 0 ite ri!ht, (hristine. Torvald is so abs rdly fond of me that he wants me absol tely to himself, as he says. "t first he sed to seem almost 8ealo s if I mentioned any of the dear folk at home, so nat rally I !ave % doin! so. ) t I often talk abo t s ch thin!s with Doctor Rank, beca se he likes hearin! abo t them. MR,. LIND+. Listen to me, Nora. .o are still very like a child in many thin!s, and I am older than yo in many ways and have a little more e-%erience. Let me tell yo this55yo o !ht to make an end of it with Doctor Rank. N'R". 1hat o !ht I to make an end of* MR,. LIND+. 'f two thin!s, I think. .esterday yo talked some nonsense abo t a rich admirer who was to leave yo money55 N'R". "n admirer who doesn't e-ist, nfort nately/ ) t what then* MR,. LIND+. Is Doctor Rank a man of means* N'R". .es, he is.

MR,. LIND+. "nd has no one to %rovide for* N'R". No, no one3 b t55 MR,. LIND+. "nd comes here everyday* N'R". .es, I told yo so. MR,. LIND+. ) t how can this well5bred man be so tactless* N'R". I don't nderstand yo at all. MR,. LIND+. Don't %revaricate, Nora. Do yo s %%ose I don't ! ess who lent yo the two h ndred and fifty %o nds* N'R". "re yo o t of yo r senses* How can yo think of s ch a thin!/ " friend of o rs, who comes here everyday/ Do yo realise what a horribly %ainf l %osition that wo ld be* MR,. LIND+. Then it really isn't he* N'R". No, certainly not. It wo ld never have entered into my head for a moment. )esides, he had no money to lend then3 he came into his money afterwards. MR,. LIND+. 1ell, I think that was l cky for yo , my dear Nora. N'R". No, it wo ld never have come into my head to ask Doctor R"N9. "ltho !h I am 0 ite s re that if I had asked him55 MR,. LIND+. ) t of co rse yo won't. N'R".

'f co rse not. I have no reason to think it co ld %ossibly be necessary. ) t I am 0 ite s re that if I told Doctor Rank55 MR,. LIND+. )ehind yo r h sband's back* N'R". I m st make an end of it with the other one, and that will be behind his back too. I m st make an end of it with him. MR,. LIND+. .es, that is what I told yo yesterday, b t55 N'R". $walkin! % and down&. " man can % t a thin! like that strai!ht m ch easier than a woman55 MR,. LIND+. 'ne's h sband, yes. N'R". Nonsense/ $,tandin! still.& 1hen yo %ay off a debt yo !et yo r bond back, don't yo * MR,. LIND+. .es, as a matter of co rse. N'R". "nd can tear it into a h ndred tho sand %ieces, and b rn it %55the nasty dirty %a%er/ MR,. LIND+ $looks hard at her, lays down her sewin! and !ets % slowly&. Nora, yo are concealin! somethin! from me. N'R". Do I look as if I were* MR,. LIND+. ,omethin! has ha%%ened to yo since yesterday mornin!. Nora, what is it* N'R". $!oin! nearer to her&. (hristine/ $Listens.& H sh/ there's Torvald come home. Do yo mind !oin! in to the children for the %resent* Torvald can't bear to see dressmakin! !oin! on. Let "nne hel% yo . MR,.

LIND+ $!atherin! some of the thin!s to!ether&. (ertainly 55 b t I am not !oin! away from here ntil we have had it o t with one another. $,he !oes into the room on the left, as H+LM+R comes in from the hall.& N'R". $!oin! % to H+LM+R&. I have wanted yo so m ch, Torvald dear. H+LM+R. 1as that the dressmaker* N'R". No, it was (hristine3 she is hel%in! me to % t my dress in order. .o will see I shall look 0 ite smart. H+LM+R. 1asn't that a ha%%y tho !ht of mine, now* N'R". ,%lendid/ ) t don't yo think it is nice of me, too, to do as yo wish* H+LM+R. Nice*55beca se yo do as yo r h sband wishes* 1ell, well, yo little ro! e, I am s re yo did not mean it in that way. ) t I am not !oin! to dist rb yo 3 yo will want to be tryin! on yo r dress, I e-%ect. N'R". I s %%ose yo are !oin! to work. H+LM+R. .es. $,hows her a b ndle of %a%ers.& Look at that. I have 8 st been into the bank. $T rns to !o into his room.& N'R". Torvald. H+LM+R. .es. N'R". If yo r little s0 irrel were to ask yo for somethin! very, very %rettily55* H+LM+R. 1hat then*

N'R". 1o ld yo do it* H+LM+R. I sho ld like to hear what it is, first. N'R". .o r s0 irrel wo ld r n abo t and do all her tricks if yo wo ld be nice, and do what she wants. H+LM+R. ,%eak %lainly. N'R". .o r skylark wo ld chir% abo t in every room, with her son! risin! and fallin!55 H+LM+R. 1ell, my skylark does that anyhow. N'R". I wo ld %lay the fairy and dance for yo in the moonli!ht, Torvald. H+LM+R. Nora55yo s rely don't mean that re0 est yo made to me this mornin!* N'R". $!oin! near him&. .es, Torvald, I be! yo so earnestly55 H+LM+R. Have yo really the co ra!e to o%en % that 0 estion a!ain* N'R". .es, dear, yo m st do as I ask3 yo m st let 9ro!stad kee% his %ost in the bank. H+LM+R. My dear Nora, it is his %ost that I have arran!ed Mrs. Linde shall have. N'R". .es, yo have been awf lly kind abo t that3 b t yo co ld 8 st as well dismiss some other clerk instead of 9ro!stad. H+LM+R. This is sim%ly incredible obstinacy/ )eca se yo chose to !ive him a tho !htless %romise that yo wo ld s%eak for him, I am e-%ected to55 N'R".

That isn't the reason, Torvald. It is for yo r own sake. This fellow writes in the most sc rrilo s news%a%ers3 yo have told me so yo rself. He can do yo an ns%eakable amo nt of harm. I am fri!htened to death of him55 H+LM+R. "h, I nderstand3 it is recollections of the %ast that scare yo . N'R". 1hat do yo mean* H+LM+R. Nat rally yo are thinkin! of yo r father. N'R". .es55yes, of co rse. 2 st recall to yo r mind what these malicio s creat res wrote in the %a%ers abo t %a%a, and how horribly they slandered him. I believe they wo ld have %roc red his dismissal if the De%artment had not sent yo over to in0 ire into it, and if yo had not been so kindly dis%osed and hel%f l to him. H+LM+R. My little Nora, there is an im%ortant difference between yo r father and me. .o r father's re% tation as a % blic official was not above s s%icion. Mine is, and I ho%e it will contin e to be so, as lon! as I hold my office. N'R". .o never can tell what mischief these men may contrive. 1e o !ht to be so well off, so sn ! and ha%%y here in o r %eacef l home, and have no cares55yo and I and the children, Torvald/ That is why I be! yo so earnestly55 H+LM+R. "nd it is 8 st by intercedin! for him that yo make it im%ossible for me to kee% him. It is already known at the )ank that I mean to dismiss 9ro!stad. Is it to !et abo t now that the new mana!er has chan!ed his mind at his wife's biddin!55 N'R". "nd what if it did* H+LM+R. 'f co rse/55if only this obstinate little %erson can !et her way/ Do yo s %%ose I am !oin! to make myself ridic lo s before my whole staff, to let %eo%le think that I am a man to be swayed by all

sorts of o tside infl ence* I sho ld very soon feel the conse0 ences of it, I can tell yo / "nd besides, there is one thin! that makes it 0 ite im%ossible for me to have 9ro!stad in the )ank as lon! as I am mana!er. N'R". 1hatever is that* H+LM+R. His moral failin!s I mi!ht %erha%s have overlooked, if necessary55 N'R". .es, yo co ld55co ldn't yo * H+LM+R. "nd I hear he is a !ood worker, too. ) t I knew him when we were boys. It was one of those rash friendshi%s that so often %rove an inc b s in afterlife. I may as well tell yo %lainly, we were once on very intimate terms with one another. ) t this tactless fellow lays no restraint on himself when other %eo%le are %resent. 'n the contrary, he thinks it !ives him the ri!ht to ado%t a familiar tone with me, and every min te it is :I say, Helmer, old fellow/: and that sort of thin!. I ass re yo it is e-tremely %ainf l for me. He wo ld make my %osition in the )ank intolerable. N'R". Torvald, I don't believe yo mean that. H+LM+R. Don't yo * 1hy not* N'R". )eca se it is s ch a narrow5minded way of lookin! at thin!s. H+LM+R. 1hat are yo sayin!* Narrow5minded* Do yo think I am narrow5minded* N'R". No, 8 st the o%%osite, dear55and it is e-actly for that reason. H+LM+R. It's the same thin!. .o say my %oint of view is narrow5 minded, so I m st be so too. Narrow5 minded/ 6ery well55I m st % t an end to this. $;oes to the hall door and calls.& Helen/ N'R". 1hat are yo !oin! to do*

H+LM+R. $lookin! amon! his %a%ers&. ,ettle it. $+nter M"ID.& Look here3 take this letter and !o downstairs with it at once. 7ind a messen!er and tell him to deliver it, and be 0 ick. The address is on it, and here is the money. M"ID. 6ery well, sir. $+-it with the letter.& H+LM+R. $% ttin! his %a%ers to!ether&. Now then, little Miss 'bstinate. N'R". $breathlessly&. Torvald55what was that letter* H+LM+R. 9ro!stad's dismissal. N'R". (all her back, Torvald/ There is still time. 'h Torvald, call her back/ Do it for my sake55for yo r own sake55for the children's sake/ Do yo hear me, Torvald* (all her back/ .o don't know what that letter can brin! %on s. H+LM+R. It's too late. N'R". .es, it's too late. H+LM+R. My dear Nora, I can for!ive the an-iety yo are in, altho !h really it is an ins lt to me. It is, indeed. Isn't it an ins lt to think that I sho ld be afraid of a starvin! 0 ill5driver's ven!eance* ) t I for!ive yo nevertheless, beca se it is s ch elo0 ent witness to yo r !reat love for me. $Takes her in his arms.& "nd that is as it sho ld be, my own darlin! Nora. (ome what will, yo may be s re I shall have both co ra!e and stren!th if they be needed. .o will see I am man eno !h to take everythin! %on myself. N'R". $in a horror5stricken voice&. 1hat do yo mean by that* H+LM+R. +verythin!, I say55 N'R". $recoverin! herself&.

.o will never have to do that. H+LM+R. That's ri!ht. 1ell, we will share it, Nora, as man and wife sho ld. That is how it shall be. $(aressin! her.& "re yo content now* There/ There/55not these fri!htened dove's eyes/ The whole thin! is only the wildest fancy/55Now, yo m st !o and %lay thro !h the Tarantella and %ractise with yo r tambo rine. I shall !o into the inner office and sh t the door, and I shall hear nothin!3 yo can make as m ch noise as yo %lease. $T rns back at the door.& "nd when Rank comes, tell him where he will find me. $Nods to her, takes his %a%ers and !oes into his room, and sh ts the door after him.& N'R" $bewildered with an-iety, stands as if rooted to the s%ot, and whis%ers&. He was ca%able of doin! it. He will do it. He will do it in s%ite of everythin!.55No, not that/ Never, never/ "nythin! rather than that/ 'h, for some hel%, some way o t of it/ $The door5bell rin!s.& Doctor Rank/ "nythin! rather than that55anythin!, whatever it is/ $,he % ts her hands over her face, % lls herself to!ether, !oes to the door and o%ens it. R"N9 is standin! witho t, han!in! % his coat. D rin! the followin! dialo! e it be!ins to !row dark.& N'R". ;ood day, Doctor Rank. I knew yo r rin!. ) t yo m stn't !o in to Torvald now3 I think he is b sy with somethin!. R"N9. "nd yo * N'R". $brin!s him in and sh ts the door after him&. 'h, yo know very well I always have time for yo . R"N9. Thank yo . I shall make se of as m ch of it as I can. N'R". 1hat do yo mean by that* "s m ch of it as yo can* R"N9. 1ell, does that alarm yo * N'R". It was s ch a stran!e way of % ttin! it. Is anythin! likely to ha%%en* R"N9.

Nothin! b t what I have lon! been %re%ared for. ) t I certainly didn't e-%ect it to ha%%en so soon. N'R". $!ri%%in! him by the arm&. 1hat have yo fo nd o t* Doctor R"N9., yo m st tell me. R"N9. $sittin! down by the stove&. It is all % with me. "nd it can't be hel%ed. N'R". $with a si!h of relief&. Is it abo t yo rself* R"N9. 1ho else* It is no se lyin! to one's self. I am the most wretched of all my %atients, Mrs. Helmer. Lately I have been takin! stock of my internal economy. )ankr %t/ #robably within a month I shall lie rottin! in the ch rchyard. N'R". 1hat an !ly thin! to say/ R"N9. The thin! itself is c rsedly !ly, and the worst of it is that I shall have to face so m ch more that is !ly before that. I shall only make one more e-amination of myself3 when I have done that, I shall know %retty certainly when it will be that the horrors of dissol tion will be!in. There is somethin! I want to tell yo . Helmer's refined nat re !ives him an ncon0 erable dis! st at everythin! that is !ly3 I won't have him in my sick5 room. N'R". 'h, b t, Doctor Rank55 R"N9. I won't have him there. Not on any acco nt. I bar my door to him. "s soon as I am 0 ite certain that the worst has come, I shall send yo my card with a black cross on it, and then yo will know that the loathsome end has be! n. N'R". .o are 0 ite abs rd today. "nd I wanted yo so m ch to be in a really !ood h mo r. R"N9. 1ith death stalkin! beside me*55To have to %ay this %enalty for another man's sin* Is there any 8 stice in that* "nd in every sin!le family, in one way or another, some s ch ine-orable retrib tion is bein! e-acted55

N'R". $% ttin! her hands over her ears&. R bbish/ Do talk of somethin! cheerf l. R"N9. 'h, it's a mere la !hin! matter, the whole thin!. My %oor innocent s%ine has to s ffer for my father's yo thf l am sements. N'R". $sittin! at the table on the left&. I s %%ose yo mean that he was too %artial to as%ara! s and %ate de foie !ras, don't yo * R"N9. .es, and to tr ffles. N'R". Tr ffles, yes. "nd oysters too, I s %%ose* R"N9. 'ysters, of co rse, that !oes witho t sayin!. N'R". "nd hea%s of %ort and cham%a!ne. It is sad that all these nice thin!s sho ld take their reven!e on o r bones. R"N9. +s%ecially that they sho ld reven!e themselves on the nl cky bones of those who have not had the satisfaction of en8oyin! them. N'R". .es, that's the saddest %art of it all. R"N9. $with a searchin! look at her&. Hm/55 N'R". $after a short %a se&. 1hy did yo smile* R"N9. No, it was yo that la !hed. N'R". No, it was yo that smiled, Doctor Rank/ R"N9. $risin!&. .o are a !reater rascal than I tho !ht.

N'R". I am in a silly mood today. R"N9. ,o it seems. N'R". $% ttin! her hands on his sho lders&. Dear, dear Doctor Rank, death m stn't take yo away from Torvald and me. R"N9. It is a loss yo wo ld easily recover from. Those who are !one are soon for!otten. N'R". $lookin! at him an-io sly&. Do yo believe that* R"N9. #eo%le form new ties, and then55 N'R". 1ho will form new ties* R"N9. )oth yo and Helmer, when I am !one. .o yo rself are already on the hi!h road to it, I think. 1hat did that Mrs. Linde want here last ni!ht* N'R". 'ho/55yo don't mean to say yo are 8ealo s of %oor (hristine* R"N9. .es, I am. ,he will be my s ccessor in this ho se. 1hen I am done for, this woman will55 N'R". H sh/ don't s%eak so lo d. ,he is in that room. R"N9. Today a!ain. There, yo see. N'R". ,he has only come to sew my dress for me. )less my so l, how nreasonable yo are/ $,its down on the sofa.& )e nice now, Doctor Rank, and tomorrow yo will see how bea tif lly I shall dance, and yo can ima!ine I am doin! it all for yo 55and for Torvald too, of co rse. $Takes vario s thin!s o t of the bo-.& Doctor Rank, come and sit down here, and I will show yo somethin!. R"N9.

$sittin! down&. 1hat is it* N'R". 2 st look at those/ R"N9. ,ilk stockin!s. N'R". 7lesh5colo red. "ren't they lovely* It is so dark here now, b t tomorrow55. No, no, no/ yo m st only look at the feet. 'h well, yo may have leave to look at the le!s too. R"N9. Hm/55Nora. 1hy are yo lookin! so critical* Don't yo think they will fit me* R"N9. I have no means of formin! an o%inion abo t that. N'R". $looks at him for a moment&. 7or shame/ $Hits him li!htly on the ear with the stockin!s.& That's to % nish yo . $7olds them % a!ain.& R"N9. "nd what other nice thin!s am I to be allowed to see* N'R". Not a sin!le thin! more, for bein! so na !hty. $,he looks amon! the thin!s, h mmin! to herself.& R"N9. $after a short silence&. 1hen I am sittin! here, talkin! to yo as intimately as this, I cannot ima!ine for a moment what wo ld have become of me if I had never come into this ho se. N'R". $smilin!&. I believe yo do feel thoro !hly at home with s. R"N9. $in a lower voice, lookin! strai!ht in front of him&. "nd to be obli!ed to leave it all55 N'R". Nonsense, yo are not !oin! to leave it. R"N9. $as before&. "nd not be able to leave behind one the sli!htest token of one's !ratit de, scarcely even a fleetin! re!ret55nothin! b t an em%ty %lace which the first comer can fill as well as any other.

N'R". "nd if I asked yo now for a55* No/ R"N9. 7or what* N'R". 7or a bi! %roof of yo r friendshi%55 R"N9. .es, yes/ N'R". I mean a tremendo sly bi! favo r55 R"N9. 1o ld yo really make me so ha%%y for once* N'R". "h, b t yo don't know what it is yet. R"N9. No55b t tell me. N'R". I really can't, Doctor Rank. It is somethin! o t of all reason3 it means advice, and hel%, and a favo r55 R"N9. The bi!!er a thin! it is the better. I can't conceive what it is yo mean. Do tell me. Haven't I yo r confidence* N'R". More than anyone else. I know yo are my tr est and best friend, and so I will tell yo what it is. 1ell, Doctor Rank, it is somethin! yo m st hel% me to %revent. .o know how devotedly, how ine-%ressibly dee%ly Torvald loves me3 he wo ld never for a moment hesitate to !ive his life for me. R"N9. $leanin! towards her&. Nora55do yo think he is the only one55* N'R". $with a sli!ht start&. The only one55*

R"N9. The only one who wo ld !ladly !ive his life for yo r sake. N'R". $sadly&. Is that it* R"N9. I was determined yo sho ld know it before I went away, and there will never be a better o%%ort nity than this. Now yo know it, Nora. "nd now yo know, too, that yo can tr st me as yo wo ld tr st no one else. N'R". $rises, deliberately and 0 ietly&. Let me %ass. R"N9. $makes room for her to %ass him, b t sits still&. Nora/ N'R". $at the hall door&. Helen, brin! in the lam%. $;oes over to the stove.& Dear Doctor Rank, that was really horrid of yo . R"N9. To have loved yo as m ch as anyone else does* 1as that horrid* N'R". No, b t to !o and tell me so. There was really no need55 R"N9. 1hat do yo mean* Did yo know55* $M"ID enters with lam%, % ts it down on the table, and !oes o t.& Nora55Mrs. Helmer55tell me, had yo any idea of this* N'R". 'h, how do I know whether I had or whether I hadn't* I really can't tell yo 55To think yo co ld be so cl msy, Doctor Rank/ 1e were !ettin! on so nicely. R"N9. 1ell, at all events yo know now that yo can command me, body and so l. ,o won't yo s%eak o t* N'R". $lookin! at him&. "fter what ha%%ened* R"N9. I be! yo to let me know what it is.

N'R". I can't tell yo anythin! now. R"N9. .es, yes. .o m stn't % nish me in that way. Let me have %ermission to do for yo whatever a man may do. N'R". .o can do nothin! for me now. )esides, I really don't need any hel% at all. .o will find that the whole thin! is merely fancy on my %art. It really is so55of co rse it is/ $,its down in the rockin!5 chair, and looks at him with a smile.& .o are a nice sort of man, Doctor Rank/55don't yo feel ashamed of yo rself, now the lam% has come* R"N9. Not a bit. ) t %erha%s I had better !o55for ever* N'R". No, indeed, yo shall not. 'f co rse yo m st come here 8 st as before. .o know very well Torvald can't do witho t yo . R"N9. .es, b t yo * N'R". 'h, I am always tremendo sly %leased when yo come. R"N9. It is 8 st that, that % t me on the wron! track. .o are a riddle to me. I have often tho !ht that yo wo ld almost as soon be in my com%any as in Helmer's. N'R". .es55yo see there are some %eo%le one loves best, and others whom one wo ld almost always rather have as com%anions. R"N9. .es, there is somethin! in that. N'R". 1hen I was at home, of co rse I loved %a%a best. ) t I always tho !ht it tremendo s f n if I co ld steal down into the maids' room, beca se they never moralised at all, and talked to each other abo t s ch entertainin! thin!s.

R"N9. I see55it is their %lace I have taken. N'R". $8 m%in! % and !oin! to him&. 'h, dear, nice Doctor Rank, I never meant that at all. ) t s rely yo can nderstand that bein! with Torvald is a little like bein! with %a%a55$+nter M"ID from the hall.& M"ID. If yo %lease, ma'am. $1his%ers and hands her a card.& N'R". $!lancin! at the card&. 'h/ $# ts it in her %ocket.& R"N9. Is there anythin! wron!* N'R". No, no, not in the least. It is only somethin!55it is my new dress55 R"N9. 1hat* .o r dress is lyin! there. N'R". 'h, yes, that one3 b t this is another. I ordered it. Torvald m stn't know abo t it55 R"N9. 'ho/ Then that was the !reat secret. N'R". 'f co rse. 2 st !o in to him3 he is sittin! in the inner room. 9ee% him as lon! as55 R"N9. Make yo r mind easy3 I won't let him esca%e. $;oes into H+LM+R', room.& N'R". $to the M"ID&. "nd he is standin! waitin! in the kitchen* M"ID. .es3 he came % the back stairs. N'R". ) t didn't yo tell him no one was in* M"ID. .es, b t it was no !ood.

N'R". He won't !o away* M"ID. No3 he says he won't ntil he has seen yo , ma'am. N'R". 1ell, let him come in55b t 0 ietly. Helen, yo m stn't say anythin! abo t it to anyone. It is a s r%rise for my h sband. M"ID. .es, ma'am, I 0 ite nderstand. $+-it.& N'R". This dreadf l thin! is !oin! to ha%%en/ It will ha%%en in s%ite of me/ No, no, no, it can't ha%%en55it shan't ha%%en/ $,he bolts the door of H+LM+R', room. The M"ID o%ens the hall door for 9R';,T"D and sh ts it after him. He is wearin! a f r coat, hi!h boots and a f r ca%.& N'R". $advancin! towards him&. ,%eak low55my h sband is at home. 9R';,T"D. No matter abo t that. N'R". 1hat do yo want of me* 9R';,T"D. "n e-%lanation of somethin!. N'R". Make haste then. 1hat is it* 9R';,T"D. .o know, I s %%ose, that I have !ot my dismissal. N'R". I co ldn't %revent it, Mr. 9ro!stad. I fo !ht as hard as I co ld on yo r side, b t it was no !ood. 9R';,T"D. Does yo r h sband love yo so little, then* He knows what I can e-%ose yo to, and yet he vent res55 N'R".

How can yo s %%ose that he has any knowled!e of the sort* 9R';,T"D. I didn't s %%ose so at all. It wo ld not be the least like o r dear Torvald Helmer to show so m ch co ra!e55 N'R". Mr. 9ro!stad, a little res%ect for my h sband, %lease. 9R';,T"D. (ertainly55all the res%ect he deserves. ) t since yo have ke%t the matter so caref lly to yo rself, I make bold to s %%ose that yo have a little clearer idea, than yo had yesterday, of what it act ally is that yo have done* N'R". More than yo co ld ever teach me. 9R';,T"D. .es, s ch a bad lawyer as I am. N'R". 1hat is it yo want of me* 9R';,T"D. 'nly to see how yo were, Mrs. Helmer. I have been thinkin! abo t yo all day lon!. " mere cashier, a 0 ill5driver, a55well, a man like me55even he has a little of what is called feelin!, yo know. N'R". ,how it, then3 think of my little children. 9R';,T"D. Have yo and yo r h sband tho !ht of mine* ) t never mind abo t that. I only wanted to tell yo that yo need not take this matter too serio sly. In the first %lace there will be no acc sation made on my %art. N'R". No, of co rse not3 I was s re of that. 9R';,T"D. The whole thin! can be arran!ed amicably3 there is no reason why anyone sho ld know anythin! abo t it. It will remain a secret between s three.

N'R". My h sband m st never !et to know anythin! abo t it. 9R';,T"D. How will yo be able to %revent it* "m I to nderstand that yo can %ay the balance that is owin!* N'R". No, not 8 st at %resent. 9R';,T"D. 'r %erha%s that yo have some e-%edient for raisin! the money soon* N'R". No e-%edient that I mean to make se of. 9R';,T"D. 1ell, in any case, it wo ld have been of no se to yo now. If yo stood there with ever so m ch money in yo r hand, I wo ld never %art with yo r bond. N'R". Tell me what % r%ose yo mean to % t it to. 9R';,T"D. I shall only %reserve it55kee% it in my %ossession. No one who is not concerned in the matter shall have the sli!htest hint of it. ,o that if the tho !ht of it has driven yo to any des%erate resol tion55 N'R". It has. 9R';,T"D. If yo had it in yo r mind to r n away from yo r home55 N'R". I had. 9R';,T"D. 'r even somethin! worse55 N'R". How co ld yo know that* 9R';,T"D. ;ive % the idea. N'R".

How did yo know I had tho !ht of that* 9R';,T"D. Most of s think of that at first. I did, too55b t I hadn't the co ra!e. N'R". $faintly&. No more had I. 9R';,T"D $in a tone of relief&. No, that's it, isn't it55yo hadn't the co ra!e either* N'R". No, I haven't55I haven't. 9R';,T"D. )esides, it wo ld have been a !reat %iece of folly. 'nce the first storm at home is over55. I have a letter for yo r h sband in my %ocket. N'R". Tellin! him everythin!* 9R';,T"D. In as lenient a manner as I %ossibly co ld. N'R". $0 ickly&. He m stn't !et the letter. Tear it %. I will find some means of !ettin! money. 9R';,T"D. +-c se me, Mrs. Helmer, b t I think I told yo 8 st now55 N'R". I am not s%eakin! of what I owe yo . Tell me what s m yo are askin! my h sband for, and I will !et the money. 9R';,T"D. I am not askin! yo r h sband for a %enny. N'R". 1hat do yo want, then* 9R';,T"D. I will tell yo . I want to rehabilitate myself, Mrs. Helmer3 I want to !et on3 and in that yo r h sband m st hel% me. 7or the last year and a half I have not had a hand in anythin! dishono rable, amid all that time I have been str !!lin! in most restricted circ mstances. I was content to work my

way % ste% by ste%. Now I am t rned o t, and I am not !oin! to be satisfied with merely bein! taken into favo r a!ain. I want to !et on, I tell yo . I want to !et into the )ank a!ain, in a hi!her %osition. .o r h sband m st make a %lace for me55 N'R". That he will never do/ 9R';,T"D. He will3 I know him3 he dare not %rotest. "nd as soon as I am in there a!ain with him, then yo will see/ 1ithin a year I shall be the mana!er's ri!ht hand. It will be Nils 9ro!stad and not Torvald Helmer who mana!es the )ank. N'R". That's a thin! yo will never see/ 9R';,T"D. Do yo mean that yo will55* N'R". I have co ra!e eno !h for it now. 9R';,T"D. 'h, yo can't fri!hten me. " fine, s%oilt lady like yo 55 N'R". .o will see, yo will see. 9R';,T"D. ?nder the ice, %erha%s* Down into the cold, coal5black water* "nd then, in the s%rin!, to float % to the s rface, all horrible and nreco!nisable, with yo r hair fallen o t55 N'R". .o can't fri!hten me. 9R';,T"D. Nor yo me. #eo%le don't do s ch thin!s, Mrs. Helmer. )esides, what se wo ld it be* I sho ld have him com%letely in my %ower all the same. N'R". "fterwards* 1hen I am no lon!er55 9R';,T"D.

Have yo

for!otten that it is I who have the kee%in! of yo r re% tation* $N'R" stands

s%eechlessly lookin! at him.& 1ell, now, I have warned yo . Do not do anythin! foolish. 1hen Helmer has had my letter, I shall e-%ect a messa!e from him. "nd be s re yo remember that it is yo r h sband himself who has forced me into s ch ways as this a!ain. I will never for!ive him for that. ;oodbye, Mrs. Helmer. $+-it thro !h the hall.& N'R" $!oes to the hall door, o%ens it sli!htly and listens.& He is !oin!. He is not % ttin! the letter in the bo-. 'h no, no/ that's im%ossible/ $'%ens the door by de!rees.& 1hat is that* He is standin! o tside. He is not !oin! downstairs. Is he hesitatin!* (an he55* $" letter dro%s into the bo-3 then 9R';,T"D', footste%s are heard, ntil they die away as he !oes downstairs. N'R" tters a stifled cry, and r ns across the room to the table by the sofa. " short %a se.& N'R". In the letter5bo-. $,teals across to the hall door.& There it lies55Torvald, Torvald, there is no ho%e for s now/ $Mrs. LIND+ comes in from the room on the left, carryin! the dress.& MR,. LIND+. There, I can't see anythin! more to mend now. 1o ld yo like to try it on55* N'R". $in a hoarse whis%er&. (hristine, come here. MR,. LIND+ $throwin! the dress down on the sofa&. 1hat is the matter with yo * .o look so a!itated/ N'R". (ome here. Do yo see that letter* There, look55yo can see it thro !h the !lass in the letter5bo-. MR,. LIND+. .es, I see it. N'R". That letter is from 9ro!stad. MR,. LIND+. Nora55it was 9ro!stad who lent yo the money/ N'R". .es, and now Torvald will know all abo t it.

MR,. LIND+. )elieve me, Nora, that's the best thin! for both of yo . N'R". .o don't know all. I for!ed a name. MR,. LIND+. ;ood heavens55/ N'R". I only want to say this to yo , (hristine55yo m st be my witness. MR,. LIND+. .o r witness* 1hat do yo mean* 1hat am I to55* N'R". If I sho ld !o o t of my mind55and it mi!ht easily ha%%en55 MR,. LIND+. Nora/ N'R". 'r if anythin! else sho ld ha%%en to me55anythin!, for instance, that mi!ht %revent my bein! here55 MR,. LIND+. Nora/ Nora/ yo are 0 ite o t of yo r mind. N'R". "nd if it sho ld ha%%en that there were some one who wanted to take all the res%onsibility, all the blame, yo nderstand55 MR,. LIND+. .es, yes55b t how can yo s %%ose55* N'R". Then yo m st be my witness, that it is not tr e, (hristine. I am not o t of my mind at all3 I am in my ri!ht senses now, and I tell yo no one else has known anythin! abo t it3 I, and I alone, did the whole thin!. Remember that. MR,. LIND+. I will, indeed. ) t I don't nderstand all this. N'R". How sho ld yo nderstand it* " wonderf l thin! is !oin! to ha%%en/

MR,. LIND+. " wonderf l thin!* N'R". .es, a wonderf l thin!/55) t it is so terrible, (hristine3 it m stn't ha%%en, not for all the world. MR,. LIND+. I will !o at once and see 9ro!stad. N'R". Don't !o to him3 he will do yo some harm. MR,. LIND+. There was a time when he wo ld !ladly do anythin! for my sake. N'R". He* MR,. LIND+. 1here does he live* N'R". How sho ld I know55* .es $feelin! in her %ocket&, here is his card. ) t the letter, the letter55/ H+LM+R. $calls from his room, knockin! at the door&. Nora/ Nora $cries o t an-io sly&. 'h, what's that* 1hat do yo want* H+LM+R. Don't be so fri!htened. 1e are not comin! in3 yo have locked the door. "re yo tryin! on yo r dress* N'R". .es, that's it. I look so nice, Torvald. MR,. LIND+ $who has read the card&. I see he lives at the corner here. N'R". .es, b t it's no se. It is ho%eless. The letter is lyin! there in the bo-. MR,. LIND+. "nd yo r h sband kee%s the key* N'R". .es, always.

MR,. LIND+. 9ro!stad m st ask for his letter back nread, he m st find some %retence55 N'R". ) t it is 8 st at this time that Torvald !enerally55 MR,. LIND+. .o m st delay him. ;o in to him in the meantime. I will come back as soon as I can. $,he !oes o t h rriedly thro !h the hall door.& N'R". $!oes to H+LM+R', door, o%ens it and %ee%s in&. Torvald/ H+LM+R. $from the inner room&. 1ell* May I vent re at last to come into my own room a!ain* (ome alon!, Rank, now yo will see55 $Haltin! in the doorway.& ) t what is this* N'R". 1hat is what, dear* H+LM+R. Rank led me to e-%ect a s%lendid transformation. R"N9. $in the doorway&. I nderstood so, b t evidently I was mistaken. N'R". .es, nobody is to have the chance of admirin! me in my dress ntil tomorrow. H+LM+R. ) t, my dear Nora, yo look so worn o t. Have yo been %ractisin! too m ch* N'R". No, I have not %ractised at all. H+LM+R. ) t yo will need to55 N'R". .es, indeed I shall, Torvald. ) t I can't !et on a bit witho t yo to hel% me3 I have absol tely for!otten the whole thin!. H+LM+R. 'h, we will soon work it % a!ain.

N'R". .es, hel% me, Torvald. #romise that yo will/ I am so nervo s abo t it55all the %eo%le55. .o m st !ive yo rself % to me entirely this evenin!. Not the tiniest bit of b siness55yo m stn't even take a %en in yo r hand. 1ill yo %romise, Torvald dear* H+LM+R. I %romise. This evenin! I will be wholly and absol tely at yo r service, yo hel%less little mortal. "h, by the way, first of all I will 8 st55 $;oes towards the hall door.& N'R". 1hat are yo !oin! to do there* H+LM+R. 'nly see if any letters have come. N'R". No, no/ don't do that, Torvald/ H+LM+R. 1hy not* N'R". Torvald, %lease don't. There is nothin! there. H+LM+R. 1ell, let me look. $T rns to !o to the letter5bo-. N'R", at the %iano, %lays the first bars of the Tarantella. H+LM+R sto%s in the doorway.& "ha/ N'R". I can't dance tomorrow if I don't %ractise with yo . H+LM+R. $!oin! % to her&. "re yo really so afraid of it, dear* N'R". .es, so dreadf lly afraid of it. Let me %ractise at once3 there is time now, before we !o to dinner. ,it down and %lay for me, Torvald dear3 criticise me, and correct me as yo %lay. H+LM+R. 1ith !reat %leas re, if yo wish me to. $,its down at the %iano.& N'R" $takes o t of the bo- a tambo rine and a lon! varie!ated shawl. ,he hastily dra%es the shawl ro nd her. Then she s%rin!s to the front of the sta!e and calls o t&.

Now %lay for me/ I am !oin! to dance/ $H+LM+R %lays and N'R" dances. R"N9 stands by the %iano behind H+LM+R, and looks on.& H+LM+R. $as he %lays&. ,lower, slower/ N'R". I can't do it any other way. H+LM+R. Not so violently, Nora/ N'R". This is the way. H+LM+R. $sto%s %layin!&. No, no55that is not a bit ri!ht. N'R". $la !hin! and swin!in! the tambo rine&. Didn't I tell yo so* R"N9. Let me %lay for her. H+LM+R. $!ettin! %&. .es, do. I can correct her better then. $R"N9 sits down at the %iano and %lays. N'R" dances more and more wildly. H+LM+R has taken % a %osition beside the stove, and d rin! her dance !ives her fre0 ent instr ctions. ,he does not seem to hear him3 her hair comes down and falls over her sho lders3 she %ays no attention to it, b t !oes on dancin!. +nter Mrs. LIND+.& MR,. LIND+ $standin! as if s%ell5bo nd in the doorway&. 'h/55 N'R". $as she dances&. , ch f n, (hristine/ H+LM+R. My dear darlin! Nora, yo are dancin! as if yo r life de%ended on it. N'R". ,o it does. H+LM+R.

,to%, Rank3 this is sheer madness. ,to%, I tell yo / $R"N9 sto%s %layin!, and N'R" s ddenly stands still. H+LM+R !oes everythin! I ta !ht yo . N'R". $throwin! away the tambo rine&. There, yo see. H+LM+R. .o will want a lot of coachin!. N'R". .es, yo see how m ch I need it. .o m st coach me % to the last min te. #romise me that, Torvald/ H+LM+R. .o can de%end on me. N'R". .o m st not think of anythin! b t me, either today or tomorrow3 yo m stn't o%en a sin!le letter55 not even o%en the letter5bo-55 H+LM+R. "h, yo are still afraid of that fellow55 N'R". .es, indeed I am. H+LM+R. Nora, I can tell from yo r looks that there is a letter from him lyin! there. N'R". I don't know3 I think there is3 b t yo m st not read anythin! of that kind now. Nothin! horrid m st come between s ntil this is all over. R"N9. $whis%ers to H+LM+R&. .o m stn't contradict her. H+LM+R. $takin! her in his arms&. The child shall have her way. ) t tomorrow ni!ht, after yo have danced55 N'R". Then yo will be free. $The M"ID a%%ears in the doorway to the ri!ht.& M"ID. % to her.& I co ld never have believed it. .o have for!otten

Dinner is served, ma'am. N'R". 1e will have cham%a!ne, Helen. M"ID. 6ery !ood, ma'am. B+-it. H+LM+R. H llo/55are we !oin! to have a ban0 et* N'R". .es, a cham%a!ne ban0 et ntil the small ho rs. $(alls o t.& "nd a few macaroons, Helen55lots, 8 st for once/ H+LM+R. (ome, come, don't be so wild and nervo s. )e my own little skylark, as yo N'R". .es, dear, I will. ) t !o in now and yo too, Doctor Rank. (hristine, yo m st hel% me to do % my hair. R"N9. $whis%ers to H+LM+R as they !o o t&. I s %%ose there is nothin!55she is not e-%ectin! anythin!* H+LM+R. 7ar from it, my dear fellow3 it is sim%ly nothin! more than this childish nervo sness I was tellin! yo of. $They !o into the ri!ht5hand room.& N'R". 1ell/ MR,. LIND+. ;one o t of town. N'R". I co ld tell from yo r face. MR,. LIND+. He is comin! home tomorrow evenin!. I wrote a note for him. N'R". .o sho ld have let it alone3 yo m st %revent nothin!. "fter all, it is s%lendid to be waitin! for a wonderf l thin! to ha%%en. sed.

MR,. LIND+. 1hat is it that yo are waitin! for* N'R". 'h, yo wo ldn't nderstand. ;o in to them, I will come in a moment. $Mrs. LIND+ !oes into the dinin!5room. N'R" stands still for a little while, as if to com%ose herself. Then she looks at her watch.& 7ive o'clock. ,even ho rs ntil midni!ht3 and then fo r5and5twenty ho rs ntil the ne-t midni!ht. Then the Tarantella will be over. Twenty5fo r and seven* Thirty5one ho rs to live. H+LM+R. $from the doorway on the ri!ht&. 1here's my little skylark* N'R". $!oin! to him with her arms o tstretched&. Here she is/ Act III (( E SA,E SCENE.--(he table has been $laced in the middle of the stage, #ith chairs around it. A lam$ is burning on the table. (he door into the hall stands o$en. -ance music is heard in the room above. ,rs. 3%N-E is sitting at the table idly turning over the leaves of a book& she tries to read, but does not seem able to collect her thoughts. Every no# and then she listens intently for a sound at the outer door.. MR,.LIND+ $lookin! at her watch&. Not yet55and the time is nearly %. If only he does not55. $Listens a!ain.& "h, there he is. $;oes into the hall and o%ens the o ter door caref lly. Li!ht footste%s are heard on the stairs. ,he whis%ers.& (ome in. There is no one here. 9R';,T"D. $in the doorway&. I fo nd a note from yo at home. 1hat does this mean* MR,. LIND+. It is absol tely necessary that I sho ld have a talk with yo . 9R';,T"D. Really* "nd is it absol tely necessary that it sho ld be here* MR,. LIND+.

It is im%ossible where I live3 there is no %rivate entrance to my rooms. (ome in3 we are 0 ite alone. The maid is aslee%, and the Helmers are at the dance %stairs. 9R';,T"D. $comin! into the room&. "re the Helmers really at a dance toni!ht* MR,. LIND+. .es, why not* 9R';,T"D. (ertainly55why not* MR,. LIND+. Now, Nils, let s have a talk. 9R';,T"D. (an we two have anythin! to talk abo t* MR,. LIND+. 1e have a !reat deal to talk abo t. 9R';,T"D. I sho ldn't have tho !ht so. MR,. LIND+. No, yo have never %ro%erly nderstood me. 9R';,T"D. 1as there anythin! else to nderstand e-ce%t what was obvio s to all the world55a heartless woman 8ilts a man when a more l crative chance t rns %* MR,. LIND+. Do yo believe I am as absol tely heartless as all that* "nd do yo believe that I did it with a li!ht heart* 9R';,T"D. Didn't yo * MR,. LIND+. Nils, did yo really think that* 9R';,T"D. If it were as yo say, why did yo write to me as yo did at the time*

MR,. LIND+. I co ld do nothin! else. "s I had to break with yo , it was my d ty also to % t an end to all that yo felt for me. 9R';,T"D $wrin!in! his hands&. ,o that was it. "nd all this55only for the sake of money/ MR,. LIND+. .o m st not for!et that I had a hel%less mother and two little brothers. 1e co ldn't wait for yo , Nils3 yo r %ros%ects seemed ho%eless then. 9R';,T"D. That may be so, b t yo had no ri!ht to throw me over for anyone else's sake. MR,. LIND+. Indeed I don't know. Many a time did I ask myself if I had the ri!ht to do it. 9R';,T"D. $more !ently&. 1hen I lost yo , it was as if all the solid !ro nd went from nder my feet. Look at me now55I am a shi%wrecked man clin!in! to a bit of wrecka!e. MR,. LIND+. ) t hel% may be near. 9R';,T"D. It was near3 b t then yo came and stood in my way. MR,. LIND+. ?nintentionally, Nils. It was only today that I learned it was yo r %lace I was !oin! to take in the )ank. 9R';,T"D. I believe yo , if yo say so. ) t now that yo know it, are yo not !oin! to !ive it % to me* MR,. LIND+. No, beca se that wo ld not benefit yo in the least. 9R';,T"D. 'h, benefit, benefit55I wo ld have done it whether or no. MR,. LIND+. I have learned to act %r dently. Life, and hard, bitter necessity have ta !ht me that. 9R';,T"D.

"nd life has ta !ht me not to believe in fine s%eeches. MR,. LIND+. Then life has ta !ht yo somethin! very reasonable. ) t deeds yo m st believe in* 9R';,T"D. 1hat do yo mean by that* MR,. LIND+. .o said yo were like a shi%wrecked man clin!in! to some wrecka!e. 9R';,T"D. I had !ood reason to say so. MR,. LIND+. 1ell, I am like a shi%wrecked woman clin!in! to some wrecka!e55no one to mo rn for, no one to care for. 9R';,T"D. It was yo r own choice. MR,. LIND+. There was no other choice55then. 9R';,T"D. 1ell, what now* MR,. LIND+. Nils, how wo ld it be if we two shi%wrecked %eo%le co ld 8oin forces* 9R';,T"D. 1hat are yo sayin!* MR,. LIND+. Two on the same %iece of wrecka!e wo ld stand a better chance than each on their own. 9R';,T"D. (hristine I... MR,. LIND+. 1hat do yo s %%ose bro !ht me to town* 9R';,T"D. Do yo mean that yo !ave me a tho !ht* MR,. LIND+.

I co ld not end re life witho t work. "ll my life, as lon! as I can remember, I have worked, and it has been my !reatest and only %leas re. ) t now I am 0 ite alone in the world55my life is so dreadf lly em%ty and I feel so forsaken. There is not the least %leas re in workin! for one's self. Nils, !ive me someone and somethin! to work for. 9R';,T"D. I don't tr st that. It is nothin! b t a woman's overstrained sense of !enerosity that %rom%ts yo to make s ch an offer of yo rself. MR,. LIND+. Have yo ever noticed anythin! of the sort in me* 9R';,T"D. (o ld yo really do it* Tell me55do yo know all abo t my %ast life* MR,. LIND+. .es. 9R';,T"D. "nd do yo know what they think of me here* MR,. LIND+. .o seemed to me to im%ly that with me yo mi!ht have been 0 ite another man. 9R';,T"D. I am certain of it. MR,. LIND+. Is it too late now* 9R';,T"D. (hristine, are yo sayin! this deliberately* .es, I am s re yo are. I see it in yo r face. Have yo really the co ra!e, then55* MR,. LIND+. I want to be a mother to someone, and yo r children need a mother. 1e two need each other. Nils, I have faith in yo r real character55I can dare anythin! to!ether with yo . 9R';,T"D. $!ras%s her hands&. Thanks, thanks, (hristine/ Now I shall find a way to clear myself in the eyes of the world. "h, b t I for!ot55 MR,.

LIND+ $listenin!&. H sh/ The Tarantella/ ;o, !o/ 9R';,T"D. 1hy* 1hat is it* MR,. LIND+. Do yo hear them % there* 1hen that is over, we may e-%ect them back. 9R';,T"D. .es, yes55I will !o. ) t it is all no se. 'f co rse yo are not aware what ste%s I have taken in the matter of the Helmers. MR,. LIND+. .es, I know all abo t that. 9R';,T"D. "nd in s%ite of that have yo the co ra!e to55* MR,. LIND+. I nderstand very well to what len!ths a man like yo mi!ht be driven by des%air. 9R';,T"D. If I co ld only ndo what I have done/ MR,. LIND+. .o cannot. .o r letter is lyin! in the letter5bo- now. 9R';,T"D. "re yo s re of that* MR,. LIND+. = ite s re, b t55 9R';,T"D. $with a searchin! look at her&. Is that what it all means*55that yo want to save yo r friend at any cost* Tell me frankly. Is that it* MR,. LIND+. Nils, a woman who has once sold herself for another's sake, doesn't do it a second time. 9R';,T"D. I will ask for my letter back. MR,. LIND+. No, no. 9R';,T"D.

.es, of co rse I will. I will wait here ntil Helmer comes3 I will tell him he m st !ive me my letter back55that it only concerns my dismissal55that he is not to read it55 MR,. LIND+. No, Nils, yo m st not recall yo r letter. 9R';,T"D. ) t, tell me, wasn't it for that very % r%ose that yo asked me to meet yo here* MR,. LIND+. In my first moment of fri!ht, it was. ) t twenty5fo r ho rs have ela%sed since then, and in that time I have witnessed incredible thin!s in this ho se. Helmer m st know all abo t it. This nha%%y secret m st be disclosed3 they m st have a com%lete 9R';,T"D. 6ery well, if yo will take the res%onsibility. ) t there is one thin! I can do in any case, and I shall do it at once. MR,. LIND+ $listenin!&. .o m st be 0 ick and !o/ The dance is over3 we are not safe a moment lon!er. 9R';,T"D. I will wait for yo below. MR,. LIND+. .es, do. .o m st see me back to my door... 9R';,T"D. I have never had s ch an ama<in! %iece of !ood fort ne in my life/ $;oes o t thro !h the o ter door. The door between the room and the hall remains o%en.& MR,.LIND+ $tidyin! % the room and layin! her hat and cloak ready&. 1hat a difference/ what a difference/ ,omeone to work for and live for55a home to brin! comfort into. That I will do, indeed. I wish they wo ld be 0 ick and come55$Listens.& "h, there they are now. I m st % t on my thin!s. $Takes % her hat and cloak. H+LM+R', and N'R"', voices are heard o tside3 a key is t rned, and H+LM+R brin!s N'R" almost by force into the hall. ,he is in an Italian cost me with a lar!e black shawl aro nd her3 he is in evenin! dress, and a black domino which is flyin! o%en.& N'R". $han!in! back in the doorway, and str !!lin! with him&. nderstandin! between them, which is im%ossible with all this concealment and falsehood !oin! on.

No, no, no/55don't take me in. I want to !o %stairs a!ain3 I don't want to leave so early. H+LM+R. ) t, my dearest Nora55 N'R". #lease, Torvald dear55%lease, %lease55only an ho r more. H+LM+R. Not a sin!le min te, my sweet Nora. .o know that was o r a!reement. (ome alon! into the room3 yo are catchin! cold standin! there. $He brin!s her !ently into the room, in s%ite of her resistance.& MR,. LIND+. ;ood evenin!. N'R". (hristine/ H+LM+R. .o here, so late, Mrs. Linde* MR,. LIND+. .es, yo m st e-c se me3 I was so an-io s to see Nora in her dress. N'R". Have yo been sittin! here waitin! for me* MR,. LIND+. .es, nfort nately I came too late, yo had already !one %stairs3 and I tho !ht I co ldn't !o away a!ain witho t havin! seen yo . H+LM+R. $takin! off N'R"', shawl&. .es, take a !ood look at her. I think she is worth lookin! at. Isn't she charmin!, Mrs. Linde* MR,. LIND+. .es, indeed she is. H+LM+R. Doesn't she look remarkably %retty* +veryone tho !ht so at the dance. ) t she is terribly self5 willed, this sweet little %erson. 1hat are we to do with her* .o will hardly believe that I had almost to brin! her away by force. N'R". Torvald, yo will re%ent not havin! let me stay, even if it were only for half an ho r.

H+LM+R. Listen to her, Mrs. Linde/ ,he had danced her Tarantella, and it had been a tremendo s s ccess, as it deserved55altho !h %ossibly the %erformance was a trifle too realistic55a little more so, I mean, than was strictly com%atible with the limitations of art. ) t never mind abo t that/ The chief thin! is, she had made a s ccess55she had made a tremendo s s ccess. Do yo think I was !oin! to let her remain there after that, and s%oil the effect* No, indeed/ I took my charmin! little (a%ri maiden55my ca%ricio s little (a%ri maiden, I sho ld say55on my arm3 took one 0 ick t rn ro nd the room3 a c rtsey on either side, and, as they say in novels, the bea tif l a%%arition disa%%eared. "n e-it o !ht always to be effective, Mrs. Linde3 b t that is what I cannot make Nora nderstand. #ooh/ this room is hot. $Throws his domino on a chair, and o%ens the door of his room.& H llo/ it's all dark in here. 'h, of co rse55e-c se me55. $He !oes in, and li!hts some candles.& N'R". $in a h rried and breathless whis%er&. 1ell* MR,. LIND+ $in a low voice&. I have had a talk with him. N'R". .es, and55 MR,. LIND+. Nora, yo m st tell yo r h sband all abo t it. N'R". $in an e-%ressionless voice&. I knew it. MR,. LIND+. .o have nothin! to be afraid of as far as 9ro!stad is concerned3 b t yo m st tell him. N'R". I won't tell him. MR,. LIND+. Then the letter will. N'R". Thank yo , (hristine. Now I know what I m st do. H sh55/ H+LM+R. $comin! in a!ain&. 1ell, Mrs. Linde, have yo admired her*

MR,. LIND+. .es, and now I will say !oodni!ht. H+LM+R. 1hat, already* Is this yo rs, this knittin!* MR,. LIND+ $takin! it&. .es, thank yo , I had very nearly for!otten it. H+LM+R. ,o yo knit* MR,. LIND+. 'f co rse. H+LM+R. Do yo know, yo o !ht to embroider. MR,. LIND+. Really* 1hy* H+LM+R. .es, it's far more becomin!. Let me show yo . .o hold the embroidery th s in yo r left hand, and se the needle with the ri!ht55like this55with a lon!, easy swee%. Do yo see* MR,. LIND+. .es, %erha%s55 H+LM+R. ) t in the case of knittin!55that can never be anythin! b t n!racef l3 look here55the arms close to!ether, the knittin!5 needles !oin! % and down55it has a sort of (hinese effect55. That was really e-cellent cham%a!ne they !ave s. MR,. LIND+. 1ell,55!oodni!ht, Nora, and don't be self5willed any more. H+LM+R. That's ri!ht, Mrs. Linde. MR,. LIND+. ;oodni!ht, Mr. Helmer. H+LM+R. $accom%anyin! her to the door&.

;oodni!ht, !oodni!ht. I ho%e yo will !et home all ri!ht. I sho ld be very ha%%y to55b t yo haven't any !reat distance to !o. ;oodni!ht, !oodni!ht. $,he !oes o t3 he sh ts the door after her, and comes in a!ain.& "h/55at last we have !ot rid of her. ,he is a fri!htf l bore, that woman. N'R". "ren't yo very tired, Torvald* H+LM+R. No, not in the least. N'R". Nor slee%y* H+LM+R. Not a bit. 'n the contrary, I feel e-traordinarily lively. "nd yo *55yo really look both tired and slee%y. N'R". .es, I am very tired. I want to !o to slee% at once. H+LM+R. There, yo see it was 0 ite ri!ht of me not to let yo stay there any lon!er. N'R". +verythin! yo do is 0 ite ri!ht, Torvald. H+LM+R. $kissin! her on the forehead&. Now my little skylark is s%eakin! reasonably. Did yo notice what !ood s%irits Rank was in this evenin!* N'R". Really* 1as he* I didn't s%eak to him at all. H+LM+R. "nd I very little, b t I have not for a lon! time seen him in s ch !ood form. $Looks for a while at her and then !oes nearer to her.& It is deli!htf l to be at home by o rselves a!ain, to be all alone with yo 55yo fascinatin!, charmin! little darlin!/ N'R". Don't look at me like that, Torvald. H+LM+R. 1hy sho ldn't I look at my dearest treas re*55at all the bea ty that is mine, all my very own*

N'R". $!oin! to the other side of the table&. .o m stn't say thin!s like that to me toni!ht. H+LM+R. $followin! her&. .o have still !ot the Tarantella in yo r blood, I see. "nd it makes yo more ca%tivatin! than ever. Listen55the ! ests are be!innin! to !o now. $In a lower voice.& Nora55soon the whole ho se will be 0 iet. N'R". .es, I ho%e so. H+LM+R. .es, my own darlin! Nora. Do yo know, when I am o t at a %arty with yo like this, why I s%eak so little to yo , kee% away from yo , and only send a stolen !lance in yo r direction now and then*55do yo know why I do that* It is beca se I make believe to myself that we are secretly in love, and yo are my secretly %romised bride, and that no one s s%ects there is anythin! between s. N'R". .es, yes55I know very well yo r tho !hts are with me all the time. H+LM+R. "nd when we are leavin!, and I am % ttin! the shawl over yo r bea tif l yo n! sho lders55on yo r lovely neck55then I ima!ine that yo are my yo n! bride and that we have 8 st come from the weddin!, and I am brin!in! yo for the first time into o r home55to be alone with yo for the first time550 ite alone with my shy little darlin!/ "ll this evenin! I have lon!ed for nothin! b t yo . 1hen I watched the sed ctive fi! res of the Tarantella, my blood was on fire3 I co ld end re it no lon!er, and that was why I bro !ht yo down so early55 N'R". ;o away, Torvald/ .o m st let me !o. I won't55 H+LM+R. 1hat's that* .o 're 8okin!, my little Nora/ .o won't55 yo won't* "m I not yo r h sband55* $" knock is heard at the o ter door.& N'R". $startin!&. Did yo hear55* H+LM+R. $!oin! into the hall&.

1ho is it* R"N9. $o tside&. It is I. May I come in for a moment* H+LM+R. $in a fretf l whis%er&. 'h, what does he want now* $"lo d.& 1ait a min te/ $?nlocks the door.& (ome, that's kind of yo not to %ass by o r door. R"N9. I tho !ht I heard yo r voice, and felt as if I sho ld like to look in. $1ith a swift !lance ro nd.& "h, yes/55these dear familiar rooms. .o are very ha%%y and cosy in here, yo two. H+LM+R. It seems to me that yo looked after yo rself %retty well %stairs too. R"N9. +-cellently. 1hy sho ldn't I* 1hy sho ldn't one en8oy everythin! in this world*55at any rate as m ch as one can, and as lon! as one can. The wine was ca%ital55 H+LM+R. +s%ecially the cham%a!ne. R"N9. ,o yo noticed that too* It is almost incredible how m ch I mana!ed to % t away/ N'R". Torvald drank a !reat deal of cham%a!ne toni!ht too. R"N9. Did he* N'R". .es, and he is always in s ch !ood s%irits afterwards. R"N9. 1ell, why sho ld one not en8oy a merry evenin! after a well5s%ent day* H+LM+R. 1ell s%ent* I am afraid I can't take credit for that. R"N9. $cla%%in! him on the back&. ) t I can, yo know/ N'R".

Doctor Rank, yo m st have been occ %ied with some scientific investi!ation today. R"N9. +-actly. H+LM+R. 2 st listen/55little Nora talkin! abo t scientific investi!ations/ N'R". "nd may I con!rat late yo on the res lt* R"N9. Indeed yo may. N'R". 1as it favo rable, then* R"N9. The best %ossible, for both doctor and %atient55certainty. N'R". $0 ickly and searchin!ly&. (ertainty* R"N9. "bsol te certainty. ,o wasn't I entitled to make a merry evenin! of it after that* N'R". .es, yo certainly were, Doctor Rank. Helmer. I think so too, so lon! as yo don't have to %ay for it in the mornin!. R"N9. 'h well, one can't have anythin! in this life witho t %ayin! for it. N'R". Doctor Rank55are yo fond of fancy5dress balls* R"N9. .es, if there is a fine lot of %retty cost mes. N'R". Tell me55what shall we two wear at the ne-t* H+LM+R. Little featherbrain/55are yo thinkin! of the ne-t already* R"N9.

1e two* .es, I can tell yo . .o shall !o as a !ood fairy55 H+LM+R. .es, b t what do yo s !!est as an a%%ro%riate cost me for that* R"N9. Let yo r wife !o dressed 8 st as she is in everyday life. H+LM+R. That was really very %rettily t rned. ) t can't yo tell s what yo will be* R"N9. .es, my dear friend, I have 0 ite made % my mind abo t that. H+LM+R. 1ell* R"N9. "t the ne-t fancy5dress ball I shall be invisible. H+LM+R. That's a !ood 8oke/ R"N9. There is a bi! black hat55have yo never heard of hats that make yo invisible* If yo % t one on, no one can see yo . H+LM+R. $s %%ressin! a smile&. .es, yo are 0 ite ri!ht. R"N9. ) t I am clean for!ettin! what I came for. Helmer, !ive me a ci!ar55one of the dark Havanas. H+LM+R. 1ith the !reatest %leas re. $'ffers him his case.& R"N9. $takes a ci!ar and c ts off the end&. Thanks. N'R". $strikin! a match&. Let me !ive yo a li!ht. R"N9. Thank yo . $,he holds the match for him to li!ht his ci!ar.& "nd now !oodbye/ H+LM+R.

;oodbye, !oodbye, dear old man/ N'R". ,lee% well, Doctor Rank. R"N9. Thank yo for that wish. N'R". 1ish me the same. R"N9. .o * 1ell, if yo want me to slee% well/ "nd thanks for the li!ht. $He nods to them both and !oes o t.& H+LM+R. $in a s bd ed voice&. He has dr nk more than he o !ht. N'R". $absently&. Maybe. $H+LM+R takes a b nch of keys o t of his %ocket and !oes into the hall.& Torvald/ what are yo !oin! to do there* H+LM+R. +m%tyin! the letter5bo-3 it is 0 ite f ll3 there will be no room to % t the news%a%er in tomorrow mornin!. N'R". "re yo !oin! to work toni!ht* H+LM+R. .o know 0 ite well I'm not. 1hat is this* ,omeone has been at the lock. N'R". "t the lock55* H+LM+R. .es, someone has. 1hat can it mean* I sho ld never have tho !ht the maid55. Here is a broken hair%in. Nora, it is one of yo rs. N'R". $0 ickly&. Then it m st have been the children55 H+LM+R.

Then yo m st !et them o t of those ways. There, at last I have !ot it o%en. $Takes o t the contents of the letter5bo-, and calls to the kitchen.& Helen/55Helen, % t o t the li!ht over the front door. $;oes back into the room and sh ts the door into the hall. He holds o t his hand f ll of letters.& Look at that55 look what a hea% of them there are. $T rnin! them over.& 1hat on earth is that* N'R". $at the window&. The letter55No/ Torvald, no/ H+LM+R. Two cards55of Rank's. N'R". 'f Doctor Rank's* H+LM+R. $lookin! at them&. Doctor Rank. They were on the to%. He m st have % t them in when he went o t. N'R". Is there anythin! written on them* H+LM+R. There is a black cross over the name. Look there55what an ncomfortable idea/ It looks as if he were anno ncin! his own death. N'R". It is 8 st what he is doin!. H+LM+R. 1hat* Do yo know anythin! abo t it* Has he said anythin! to yo * N'R". .es. He told me that when the cards came it wo ld be his leave5takin! from s. He means to sh t himself % and die. H+LM+R. My %oor old friend/ (ertainly I knew we sho ld not have him very lon! with s. ) t so soon/ "nd so he hides himself away like a wo nded animal. N'R". If it has to ha%%en, it is best it sho ld be witho t a word55don't yo think so, Torvald* H+LM+R. $walkin! % and down&.

He had so !rown into o r lives. I can't think of him as havin! !one o t of them. He, with his s fferin!s and his loneliness, was like a clo dy back!ro nd to o r s nlit ha%%iness. 1ell, %erha%s it is best so. 7or him, anyway. $,tandin! still.& "nd %erha%s for s too, Nora. 1e two are thrown 0 ite %on each other now. $# ts his arms ro nd her.& My darlin! wife, I don't feel as if I co ld hold yo ti!ht eno !h. Do yo know, Nora, I have often wished that yo mi!ht be threatened by some !reat dan!er, so that I mi!ht risk my life's blood, and everythin!, for yo r sake. N'R". $disen!a!es herself, and says firmly and decidedly&. Now yo m st read yo r letters, Torvald. H+LM+R. No, no3 not toni!ht. I want to be with yo , my darlin! wife. N'R". 1ith the tho !ht of yo r friend's death55 H+LM+R. .o are ri!ht, it has affected s both. ,omethin! !ly has come between s55the tho !ht of the horrors of death. 1e m st try and rid o r minds of that. ?ntil then55we will each !o to o r own room. N'R". $han!in! on his neck&. ;oodni!ht, Torvald55;oodni!ht/ H+LM+R. $kissin! her on the forehead&. ;oodni!ht, my little sin!in!5bird. ,lee% so nd, Nora. Now I will read my letters thro !h. $He takes his letters and !oes into his room, sh ttin! the door after him.& N'R" $!ro%es distractedly abo t, sei<es H+LM+R', domino, throws it ro nd her, while she says in 0 ick, hoarse, s%asmodic whis%ers&. Never to see him a!ain. Never/ Never/ $# ts her shawl over her head.& Never to see my children a!ain either55never a!ain. Never/ Never/55"h/ the icy, black water55the nfathomable de%ths55If only it were over/ He has !ot it now55now he is readin! it. ;oodbye, Torvald and my children/ $,he is abo t to r sh o t thro !h the hall, when H+LM+R o%ens his door h rriedly and stands with an o%en letter in his hand.& H+LM+R. Nora/ N'R".

"h/55 H+LM+R. 1hat is this* Do yo know what is in this letter* N'R". .es, I know. Let me !o/ Let me !et o t/ H+LM+R. $holdin! her back&. 1here are yo !oin!* N'R". $tryin! to !et free&. .o shan't save me, Torvald/ H+LM+R. $reelin!&. Tr e* Is this tr e, that I read here* Horrible/ No, no55it is im%ossible that it can be tr e. N'R". It is tr e. I have loved yo above everythin! else in the world. H+LM+R. 'h, don't let s have any silly e-c ses. N'R". $takin! a ste% towards him&. Torvald55/ H+LM+R. Miserable creat re55what have yo done* N'R". Let me !o. .o shall not s ffer for my sake. .o shall not take it %on yo rself. H+LM+R. No tra!ic airs, %lease. $Locks the hall door.& Here yo shall stay and !ive me an e-%lanation. Do yo nderstand what yo have done* "nswer me/ Do yo nderstand what yo have done* N'R" $looks steadily at him and says with a !rowin! look of coldness in her face&. .es, now I am be!innin! to nderstand thoro !hly. H+LM+R. $walkin! abo t the room&. 1hat a horrible awakenin!/ "ll these ei!ht years55she who was my 8oy and %ride55a hy%ocrite, a liar55worse, worse55a criminal/ The n tterable !liness of it all/557or shame/ 7or shame/ $N'R" is silent and looks steadily at him. He sto%s in front of her.& I o !ht to have s s%ected that somethin! of the sort wo ld ha%%en. I o !ht to have foreseen it. "ll yo r father's want of

%rinci%le55be silent/55all yo r father's want of %rinci%le has come o t in yo . No reli!ion, no morality, no sense of d ty55. How I am % nished for havin! winked at what he did/ I did it for yo r sake, and this is how yo re%ay me. N'R". .es, that's 8 st it. H+LM+R. Now yo have destroyed all my ha%%iness. .o have r ined all my f t re. It is horrible to think of/ I am in the %ower of an nscr % lo s man3 he can do what he likes with me, ask anythin! he likes of me, !ive me any orders he %leases55I dare not ref se. "nd I m st sink to s ch miserable de%ths beca se of a tho !htless woman/ N'R". 1hen I am o t of the way, yo will be free. H+LM+R. No fine s%eeches, %lease. .o r father had always %lenty of those ready, too. 1hat !ood wo ld it be to me if yo were o t of the way, as yo say* Not the sli!htest. He can make the affair known everywhere3 and if he does, I may be falsely s s%ected of havin! been a %arty to yo r criminal action. 6ery likely %eo%le will think I was behind it all55that it was I who %rom%ted yo / "nd I have to thank yo for all this55yo whom I have cherished d rin! the whole of o r married life. Do yo .es. H+LM+R. It is so incredible that I can't take it in. ) t we m st come to some nderstandin!. Take off that shawl. Take it off, I tell yo . I m st try and a%%ease him some way or another. The matter m st be h shed % at any cost. "nd as for yo and me, it m st a%%ear as if everythin! between s were 8 st as before55b t nat rally only in the eyes of the world. .o will still remain in my ho se, that is a matter of co rse. ) t I shall not allow yo to brin! % the children3 I dare not tr st them to yo . To think that I sho ld be obli!ed to say so to one whom I have loved so dearly, and whom I still55. No, that is all over. 7rom this moment ha%%iness is not the 0 estion3 all that concerns s is to save the remains, the fra!ments, the a%%earance55 $" rin! is heard at the front5door bell.& nderstand now what it is yo have done for me* N'R". $coldly and 0 ietly&.

H+LM+R. $with a start&. 1hat is that* ,o late/ (an the worst55* (an he55* Hide yo rself, Nora. ,ay yo are ill. $N'R" stands motionless. H+LM+R !oes and nlocks the hall door.& M"ID. $half5dressed, comes to the door&. " letter for the mistress. H+LM+R. ;ive it to me. $Takes the letter, and sh ts the door.& .es, it is from him. .o shall not have it3 I will read it myself. N'R". .es, read it. H+LM+R. $standin! by the lam%&. I scarcely have the co ra!e to do it. It may mean r in for both of s. No, I m st know. $Tears o%en the letter, r ns his eye over a few lines, looks at a %a%er enclosed, and !ives a sho t of 8oy.& Nora/ $,he looks at him 0 estionin!ly.& Nora/55No, I m st read it once a!ain55. .es, it is tr e/ I am saved/ Nora, I am saved/ N'R". "nd I* H+LM+R. .o too, of co rse3 we are both saved, both yo and I. Look, he sends yo yo r bond back. He says he re!rets and re%ents55 that a ha%%y chan!e in his life55never mind what he says/ 1e are saved, Nora/ No one can do anythin! to yo . 'h, Nora, Nora/55no, first I m st destroy these hatef l thin!s. Let me see55. $Takes a look at the bond.& No, no, I won't look at it. The whole thin! shall be nothin! b t a bad dream to me. $Tears % the bond and both letters, throws them all into the stove, and watches them b rn.& There55now it doesn't e-ist any lon!er. He says that since (hristmas +ve yo 55. These m st have been three dreadf l days for yo , Nora. N'R". I have fo !ht a hard fi!ht these three days. H+LM+R. "nd s ffered a!onies, and seen no way o t b t55. No, we won't call any of the horrors to mind. 1e will only sho t with 8oy, and kee% sayin!, :It's all over/ It's all over/: Listen to me, Nora. .o don't seem to realise that it is all over. 1hat is this*55s ch a cold, set face/ My %oor little Nora, I 0 ite

nderstand3 yo don't feel as if yo co ld believe that I have for!iven yo . ) t it is tr e, Nora, I swear it3 I have for!iven yo everythin!. I know that what yo did, yo did o t of love for me. N'R". That is tr e. H+LM+R. .o have loved me as a wife o !ht to love her h sband. 'nly yo had not s fficient knowled!e to 8 d!e of the means yo sed. ) t do yo s %%ose yo are any the less dear to me, beca se yo don't nderstand how to act on yo r own res%onsibility* No, no3 only lean on me3 I will advise yo and direct yo . I sho ld not be a man if this womanly hel%lessness did not 8 st !ive yo a do ble attractiveness in my eyes. .o m st not think anymore abo t the hard thin!s I said in my first moment of consternation, when I tho !ht everythin! was !oin! to overwhelm me. I have for!iven yo , Nora3 I swear to yo I have for!iven yo . N'R". Thank yo for yo r for!iveness. $,he !oes o t thro !h the door to the ri!ht.& H+LM+R. No, don't !o55. $Looks in.& 1hat are yo doin! in there* N'R". $from within&. Takin! off my fancy dress. H+LM+R. $standin! at the o%en door&. .es, do. Try and calm yo rself, and make yo r mind easy a!ain, my fri!htened little sin!in!5bird. )e at rest, and feel sec re3 I have broad win!s to shelter yo nder. $1alks % and down by the door.& How warm and cosy o r home is, N'R". Here is shelter for yo 3 here I will %rotect yo like a h nted dove that I have saved from a hawk's claws3 I will brin! %eace to yo r %oor beatin! heart. It will come, little by little, Nora, believe me. Tomorrow mornin! yo will look %on it all 0 ite differently3 soon everythin! will be 8 st as it was before. 6ery soon yo won't need me to ass re yo that I have for!iven yo 3 yo will yo rself feel the certainty that I have done so. (an yo s %%ose I sho ld ever think of s ch a thin! as re% diatin! yo , or even re%roachin! yo * .o have no idea what a tr e man's heart is like, Nora. There is somethin! so indescribably sweet and satisfyin!, to a man, in the knowled!e that he has for!iven his wife55for!iven her freely, and with all his heart. It seems as if that had made her, as it were, do bly his own3 he has !iven her a new life, so to s%eak3 and she has in a way become both wife and child to him. ,o yo shall be for me

after this, my little scared, hel%less darlin!. Have no an-iety abo t anythin!, Nora3 only be frank and o%en with me, and I will serve as will and conscience both to yo 55. 1hat is this* Not !one to bed* Have yo chan!ed yo r thin!s* N'R". $in everyday dress&. .es, Torvald, I have chan!ed my thin!s now. H+LM+R. ) t what for*55so late as this. N'R". I shall not slee% toni!ht. H+LM+R. ) t, my dear Nora55 N'R". $lookin! at her watch&. It is not so very late. ,it down here, Torvald. .o and I have m ch to say to one another. $,he sits down at one side of the table.& H+LM+R. Nora55what is this*55this cold, set face* N'R". ,it down. It will take some time3 I have a lot to talk over with yo . H+LM+R. $sits down at the o%%osite side of the table&. .o alarm me, Nora/55and I don't nderstand yo . N'R". No, that is 8 st it. .o don't nderstand me, and I have never nderstood yo either55before toni!ht. No, yo m stn't interr %t me. .o m st sim%ly listen to what I say. Torvald, this is a settlin! of acco nts. H+LM+R. 1hat do yo mean by that* N'R". $after a short silence&. Isn't there one thin! that strikes yo as stran!e in o r sittin! here like this* H+LM+R. 1hat is that* N'R".

1e have been married now ei!ht years. Does it not occ r to yo that this is the first time we two, yo and I, h sband and wife, have had a serio s conversation* H+LM+R. 1hat do yo mean by serio s* N'R". In all these ei!ht years55lon!er than that55from the very be!innin! of o r ac0 aintance, we have never e-chan!ed a word on any serio s s b8ect. H+LM+R. 1as it likely that I wo ld be contin ally and forever tellin! yo abo t worries that yo co ld not hel% me to bear* N'R". I am not s%eakin! abo t b siness matters. I say that we have never sat down in earnest to!ether to try and !et at the bottom of anythin!. H+LM+R. ) t, dearest Nora, wo ld it have been any !ood to yo * N'R". That is 8 st it3 yo have never nderstood me. I have been !reatly wron!ed, Torvald55first by %a%a and then by yo . H+LM+R. 1hat/ )y s two55by s two, who have loved yo better than anyone else in the world* N'R". $shakin! her head&. .o have never loved me. .o have only tho !ht it %leasant to be in love with me. H+LM+R. Nora, what do I hear yo sayin!* N'R". It is %erfectly tr e, Torvald. 1hen I was at home with %a%a, he told me his o%inion abo t everythin!, and so I had the same o%inions3 and if I differed from him I concealed the fact, beca se he wo ld not have liked it. He called me his doll5child, and he %layed with me 8 st as I sed to %lay with my dolls. "nd when I came to live with yo 55 H+LM+R. 1hat sort of an e-%ression is that to se abo t o r marria!e*

N'R". $ ndist rbed&. I mean that I was sim%ly transferred from %a%a's hands into yo rs. .o arran!ed everythin! accordin! to yo r own taste, and so I !ot the same tastes as yo r else I %retended to, I am really not 0 ite s re which55I think sometimes the one and sometimes the other. 1hen I look back on it, it seems to me as if I had been livin! here like a %oor woman558 st from hand to mo th. I have e-isted merely to %erform tricks for yo , Torvald. ) t yo wo ld have it so. .o and %a%a have committed a !reat sin a!ainst me. It is yo r fa lt that I have made nothin! of my life. H+LM+R. How nreasonable and how n!ratef l yo are, Nora/ Have yo not been ha%%y here* N'R". No, I have never been ha%%y. I tho !ht I was, b t it has never really been so. H+LM+R. Not55not ha%%y/ N'R". No, only merry. "nd yo have always been so kind to me. ) t o r home has been nothin! b t a %layroom. I have been yo r doll5wife, 8 st as at home I was %a%a's doll5child3 and here the children have been my dolls. I tho !ht it !reat f n when yo %layed with me, 8 st as they tho !ht it !reat f n when I %layed with them. That is what o r marria!e has been, Torvald. H+LM+R. There is some tr th in what yo say55e-a!!erated and strained as yo r view of it is. ) t for the f t re it shall be different. #laytime shall be over, and lesson5time shall be!in. N'R". 1hose lessons* Mine, or the children's* H+LM+R. )oth yo rs and the children's, my darlin! Nora. N'R". "las, Torvald, yo are not the man to ed cate me into bein! a %ro%er wife for yo . H+LM+R. "nd yo can say that/ N'R". "nd I55how am I fitted to brin! % the children*

H+LM+R. Nora/ N'R". Didn't yo say so yo rself a little while a!o55that yo dare not tr st me to brin! them %* H+LM+R. In a moment of an!er/ 1hy do yo %ay any heed to that* N'R". Indeed, yo were %erfectly ri!ht. I am not fit for the task. There is another task I m st ndertake first. I m st try and ed cate myself55yo are not the man to hel% me in that. I m st do that for myself. "nd that is why I am !oin! to leave yo now. H+LM+R. $s%rin!in! %&. 1hat do yo say* N'R". I m st stand 0 ite alone, if I am to nderstand myself and everythin! abo t me. It is for that reason that I cannot remain with yo any lon!er. H+LM+R. Nora, Nora/ N'R". I am !oin! away from here now, at once. I am s re (hristine will take me in for the ni!ht55 H+LM+R. .o are o t of yo r mind/ I won't allow it/ I forbid yo / N'R". It is no se forbiddin! me anythin! any lon!er. I will take with me what belon!s to myself. I will take nothin! from yo , either now or later. H+LM+R. 1hat sort of madness is this/ N'R". Tomorrow I shall !o home55I mean, to my old home. It will be easiest for me to find somethin! to do there. H+LM+R. .o blind, foolish woman/

N'R". I m st try and !et some sense, Torvald. H+LM+R. To desert yo r home, yo r h sband and yo r children/ "nd yo don't consider what %eo%le will say/ N'R". I cannot consider that at all. I only know that it is necessary for me. H+LM+R. It's shockin!. This is how yo wo ld ne!lect yo r most sacred d ties. N'R". 1hat do yo consider my most sacred d ties* H+LM+R. Do I need to tell yo that* "re they not yo r d ties to yo r h sband and yo r children* N'R". I have other d ties 8 st as sacred. H+LM+R. That yo have not. 1hat d ties co ld those be* N'R". D ties to myself. H+LM+R. )efore all else, yo are a wife and a mother. N'R". I don't believe that any lon!er. I believe that before all else I am a reasonable h man bein!, 8 st as yo are55or, at all events, that I m st try and become one. I know 0 ite well, Torvald, that most %eo%le wo ld think yo ri!ht, and that views of that kind are to be fo nd in books3 b t I can no lon!er content myself with what most %eo%le say, or with what is fo nd in books. I m st think over thin!s for myself and !et to nderstand them. H+LM+R. (an yo not nderstand yo r %lace in yo r own home* Have yo not a reliable ! ide in s ch matters as that*55have yo no reli!ion* N'R".

I am afraid, Torvald, I do not e-actly know what reli!ion is. H+LM+R. 1hat are yo sayin!* N'R". I know nothin! b t what the cler!yman said, when I went to be confirmed. He told s that reli!ion was this, and that, and the other. 1hen I am away from all this, and am alone, I will look into that matter too. I will see if what the cler!yman said is tr e, or at all events if it is tr e for me. H+LM+R. This is nheard of in a !irl of yo r a!e/ ) t if reli!ion cannot lead yo ari!ht, let me try and awaken yo r conscience. I s %%ose yo have some moral sense* 'r55answer me55am I to think yo have none* N'R". I ass re yo , Torvald, that is not an easy 0 estion to answer. I really don't know. The thin! %er%le-es me alto!ether. I only know that yo and I look at it in 0 ite a different li!ht. I am learnin!, too, that the law is 0 ite another thin! from what I s %%osed3 b t I find it im%ossible to convince myself that the law is ri!ht. "ccordin! to it a woman has no ri!ht to s%are her old dyin! father, or to save her h sband's life. I can't believe that. H+LM+R. .o talk like a child. .o don't nderstand the conditions of the world in which yo live. N'R". No, I don't. ) t now I am !oin! to try. I am !oin! to see if I can make o t who is ri!ht, the world or I. H+LM+R. .o are ill, Nora3 yo are delirio s3 I almost think yo are o t of yo r mind. N'R". I have never felt my mind so clear and certain as toni!ht. H+LM+R. "nd is it with a clear and certain mind that yo forsake yo r h sband and yo r children* N'R". .es, it is. H+LM+R.

Then there is only one %ossible e-%lanation. N'R". 1hat is that* H+LM+R. .o do not love me anymore. N'R". No, that is 8 st it. H+LM+R. Nora/55and yo can say that* N'R". It !ives me !reat %ain, Torvald, for yo have always been so kind to me, b t I cannot hel% it. I do not love yo any more. H+LM+R. $re!ainin! his com%os re&. Is that a clear and certain conviction too* N'R". .es, absol tely clear and certain. That is the reason why I will not stay here any lon!er. H+LM+R. "nd can yo tell me what I have done to forfeit yo r love* N'R". .es, indeed I can. It was toni!ht, when the wonderf l thin! did not ha%%en3 then I saw yo were not the man I had tho !ht yo were. H+LM+R. +-%lain yo rself better. I don't nderstand yo . N'R". I have waited so %atiently for ei!ht years3 for, !oodness knows, I knew very well that wonderf l thin!s don't ha%%en every day. Then this horrible misfort ne came %on me3 and then I felt 0 ite certain that the wonderf l thin! was !oin! to ha%%en at last. 1hen 9ro!stad's letter was lyin! o t there, never for a moment did I ima!ine that yo wo ld consent to acce%t this man's conditions. I was so absol tely certain that yo wo ld say to him> # blish the thin! to the whole world. "nd when that was done55 H+LM+R.

.es, what then*55when I had e-%osed my wife to shame and dis!race* N'R". 1hen that was done, I was so absol tely certain, yo wo ld come forward and take everythin! %on yo rself, and say> I am the ! ilty one. H+LM+R. Nora55/ N'R". .o mean that I wo ld never have acce%ted s ch a sacrifice on yo r %art* No, of co rse not. ) t what wo ld my ass rances have been worth a!ainst yo rs* That was the wonderf l thin! which I ho%ed for and feared3 and it was to %revent that, that I wanted to kill myself. H+LM+R. I wo ld !ladly work ni!ht and day for yo , Nora55bear sorrow and want for yo r sake. ) t no man wo ld sacrifice his hono r for the one he loves. N'R". It is a thin! h ndreds of tho sands of women have done. H+LM+R. 'h, yo think and talk like a heedless child. N'R". Maybe. ) t yo neither think nor talk like the man I co ld bind myself to. "s soon as yo r fear was over55and it was not fear for what threatened me, b t for what mi!ht ha%%en to yo 55when the whole thin! was %ast, as far as yo were concerned it was e-actly as if nothin! at all had ha%%ened. +-actly as before, I was yo r little skylark, yo r doll, which yo wo ld in f t re treat with do bly !entle care, beca se it was so brittle and fra!ile. $;ettin! %.& Torvald55it was then it dawned %on me that for ei!ht years I had been livin! here with a stran!e man, and had borne him three children55. 'h, I can't bear to think of it/ I co ld tear myself into little bits/ H+LM+R. $sadly&. I see, I see. "n abyss has o%ened between s55there is no denyin! it. ) t, Nora, wo ld it not be %ossible to fill it %* N'R". "s I am now, I am no wife for yo . H+LM+R.

I have it in me to become a different man. N'R". #erha%s55if yo r doll is taken away from yo . H+LM+R. ) t to %art/55to %art from yo / No, no, Nora, I can't nderstand that idea. N'R". $!oin! o t to the ri!ht&. That makes it all the more certain that it m st be done. $,he comes back with her cloak and hat and a small ba! which she % ts on a chair by the table.& H+LM+R. Nora, Nora, not now/ 1ait ntil tomorrow. N'R". $% ttin! on her cloak&. I cannot s%end the ni!ht in a stran!e man's room. H+LM+R. ) t can't we live here like brother and sister55* N'R". $% ttin! on her hat&. .o know very well that wo ld not last lon!. $# ts the shawl ro nd her.& ;oodbye, Torvald. I won't see the little ones. I know they are in better hands than mine. "s I am now, I can be of no se to them. H+LM+R. ) t some day, Nora55some day* N'R". How can I tell* I have no idea what is !oin! to become of me. H+LM+R. ) t yo are my wife, whatever becomes of yo . N'R". Listen, Torvald. I have heard that when a wife deserts her h sband's ho se, as I am doin! now, he is le!ally freed from all obli!ations towards her. In any case, I set yo free from all yo r obli!ations. .o are not to feel yo rself bo nd in the sli!htest way, any more than I shall. There m st be %erfect freedom on both sides. ,ee, here is yo r rin! back. ;ive me mine. H+LM+R. That too*

N'R". That too. H+LM+R. Here it is. N'R". That's ri!ht. Now it is all over. I have % t the keys here. The maids know all abo t everythin! in the ho se55better than I do. Tomorrow, after I have left her, (hristine will come here and %ack % my own thin!s that I bro !ht with me from home. I will have them sent after me. H+LM+R. "ll over/ "ll over/55Nora, shall yo never think of me a!ain* N'R". I know I shall often think of yo , the children, and this ho se. H+LM+R. May I write to yo , Nora* N'R". No55never. .o m st not do that. H+LM+R. ) t at least let me send yo 55 N'R". Nothin!55nothin!55 H+LM+R. Let me hel% yo if yo are in want. N'R". No. I can receive nothin! from a stran!er. H+LM+R. Nora55can I never be anythin! more than a stran!er to yo * N'R". $takin! her ba!&. "h, Torvald, the most wonderf l thin! of all wo ld have to ha%%en. H+LM+R. Tell me what that wo ld be/ N'R".

)oth yo and I wo ld have to be so chan!ed that55. 'h, Torvald, I don't believe any lon!er in wonderf l thin!s ha%%enin!. H+LM+R. ) t I will believe in it. Tell me/ ,o chan!ed that55* N'R". That o r life to!ether wo ld be a real wedlock. ;oodbye. $,he !oes o t thro !h the hall.& H+LM+R $sinks down on a chair at the door and b ries his face in his hands&. Nora/ Nora/ $Looks ro nd, and rises.& +m%ty. ,he is !one. $" ho%e flashes across his mind.& The most wonderf l thin! of all55* $The so nd of a door sh ttin! is heard from below.&