No More Learning

If
you hadn't been so busy I should have asked you a tremendously big
favour, Torvald.

_Helmer_. What is that? Tell me.

_Nora_. There is no one has such good taste as you. And I do so want to
look nice at the fancy-dress ball. Torvald, couldn't you take me in hand
and decide what I shall go as, and what sort of a dress I shall wear?

_Helmer_. Aha! so my obstinate little woman is obliged to get someone to
come to her rescue?

_Nora_. Yes, Torvald, I can't get along a bit without your help.

_Helmer_ Very well, I will think it over, we shall manage to hit upon
something.

_Nora_. That _is_ nice of you. (_Goes to the Christmas Tree. A short
pause. )_ How pretty the red flowers look--. But, tell me, was it really
something very bad that this Krogstad was guilty of?

_Helmer_. He forged someone's name. Have you any idea what that means?

_Nora_. Isn't it possible that he was driven to do it by necessity?

_Helmer_. Yes; or, as in so many cases, by imprudence. I am not so
heartless as to condemn a man altogether because of a single false step
of that kind.

_Nora_. No you wouldn't, would you, Torvald?

_Helmer_. Many a man has been able to retrieve his character, if he has
openly confessed his fault and taken his punishment.

_Nora_. Punishment--?

_Helmer_. But Krogstad did nothing of that sort; he got himself out of
it by a cunning trick, and that is why he has gone under altogether.

_Nora_. But do you think it would--?

_Helmer_. Just think how a guilty man like that has to lie and play the
hypocrite with everyone, how he has to wear a mask in the presence of
those near and dear to him, even before his own wife and children. And
about the children--that is the most terrible part of it all, Nora.

_Nora_. How?

_Helmer_. Because such an atmosphere of lies infects and poisons the
whole life of a home. Each breath the children take in such a house is
full of the germs of evil.

_Nora_ (_coming nearer him_). Are you sure of that?

_Helmer_. My dear, I have often seen it in the course of my life as a
lawyer. Almost everyone who has gone to the bad early in life has had a
deceitful mother.

_Nora_. Why do you only say--mother?

_Helmer_. It seems most commonly to be the mother's influence, though
naturally a bad father's would have the same result. Every lawyer is
familiar with the fact. This Krogstad, now, has been persistently
poisoning his own children with lies and dissimulation; that is why I
say he has lost all moral character. (_Holds out his hands to her. )_
That is why my sweet little Nora must promise me not to plead his cause.
Give me your hand on it. Come, come, what is this? Give me your hand.
There now, that's settled. I assure you it would be quite impossible for
me to work with him; I literally feel physically ill when I am in the
company of such people.

_Nora_ (_takes her hand out of his and goes to the opposite side of the
Christmas Tree_). How hot it is in here; and I have such a lot to do.

_Helmer_ (_getting up and putting his papers in order_). Yes, and I must
try and read through some of these before dinner; and I must think about
your costume, too. And it is just possible I may have something ready in
gold paper to hang up on the Tree. (_Puts his hand on her head. )_ My
precious little singing-bird! (_He goes into his room and shuts the door
after him. )_

_Nora_ (_after a pause, whispers_). No, no--it isn't true. It's
impossible; it must be impossible.

(_The_ NURSE _opens the door on the left. _)

_Nurse_. The little ones are begging so hard to be allowed to come in to
mamma.

_Nora_. No, no, no! Don't let them come in to me! You stay with them,
Anne.

_Nurse_. Very well, ma'am. (_Shuts the door. _)

_Nora_ (_pale with terror_). Deprave my little children? Poison my home?
(_A short pause. Then she tosses her head. _) It's not true. It can't
possibly be true.




ACT II


(THE SAME SCENE--_The Christmas Tree is in the corner by the piano,
stripped of its ornaments and with burnt-down candle-ends on its
dishevelled branches. _ NORA'S _cloak and hat are lying on the sofa. She
is alone in the room, walking about uneasily. She stops by the sofa and
takes up her cloak. _)

_Nora_ (_drops the cloak_). Someone is coming now! (_Goes to the door
and listens. _) No--it is no one. Of course, no one will come today,
Christmas Day--nor tomorrow either. But, perhaps--(_opens the door and
looks out_. ) No, nothing in the letter-box; it is quite empty. (_Comes
forward. _) What rubbish! of course he can't be in earnest about it. Such
a thing couldn't happen; it is impossible--I have three little children.

(_Enter the_ NURSE _from the room on the left, carrying a big cardboard
box. _)

_Nurse_. At last I have found the box with the fancy dress.

_Nora_. Thanks; put it on the table.

_Nurse_ (_doing so_). But it is very much in want of mending.

_Nora_. I should like to tear it into a hundred thousand pieces.

_Nurse_. What an idea! It can easily be put in order--just a little
patience.

_Nora_. Yes, I will go and get Mrs. Linde to come and help me with it.

_Nurse_. What, out again? In this horrible weather? You will catch cold,
ma'am, and make yourself ill.

_Nora_. Well, worse than that might happen. How are the children?

_Nurse_. The poor little souls are playing with their Christmas
presents, but--

_Nora_. Do they ask much for me?

_Nurse_. You see, they are so accustomed to have their mamma with them.

_Nora_. Yes, but, nurse, I shall not be able to be so much with them now
as I was before.

_Nurse_. Oh well, young children easily get accustomed to anything.

_Nora_. Do you think so? Do you think they would forget their mother if
she went away altogether?

_Nurse_. Good heavens! --went away altogether?

_Nora_. Nurse, I want you to tell me something I have often wondered
about--how could you have the heart to put your own child out among
strangers?

_Nurse_. I was obliged to, if I wanted to be little Nora's nurse.

_Nora_. Yes, but how could you be willing to do it?

_Nurse_. What, when I was going to get such a good place by it? A poor
girl who has got into trouble should be glad to. Besides, that wicked
man didn't do a single thing for me.

_Nora_. But I suppose your daughter has quite forgotten you.

_Nurse_. No, indeed she hasn't. She wrote to me when she was confirmed,
and when she was married.

_Nora_ (_putting her arms round her neck_). Dear old Anne, you were a
good mother to me when I was little.

_Nurse_. Little Nora, poor dear, had no other mother but me.

_Nora_. And if my little ones had no other mother, I am sure you
would--What nonsense I am talking! (_Opens the box. _) Go in to them. Now
I must--. You will see tomorrow how charming I shall look.

_Nurse_. I am sure there will be no one at the ball so charming as you,
ma'am. (_Goes into the room on the left. _)

_Nora_ (_begins to unpack the box, but soon pushes it away from her_).
If only I dared go out. If only no one would come. If only I could be
sure nothing would happen here in the meantime. Stuff and nonsense! No
one will come. Only I mustn't think about it. I will brush my muff. What
lovely, lovely gloves! Out of my thoughts, out of my thoughts! One, two,
three, four, five, six--(_Screams. _) Ah! there is someone coming--.
(_Makes a movement towards the door, but stands irresolute_. )

(_Enter_ MRS. LINDE _from the hall, where she has taken off her cloak
and hat_. )

_Nora_. Oh, it's you, Christine. There is no one else out there, is
there? How good of you to come!

_Mrs. Linde_. I heard you were up asking for me.

_Nora_. Yes, I was passing by. As a matter of fact, it is something you
could help me with. Let us sit down here on the sofa. Look here.
Tomorrow evening there is to be a fancy-dress ball at the Stenborgs',
who live above us; and Torvald wants me to go as a Neapolitan
fisher-girl, and dance the Tarantella that I learnt at Capri.

_Mrs. Linde_. I see; you are going to keep up the character.

_Nora_. Yes, Torvald wants me to. Look, here is the dress; Torvald had
it made for me there, but now it is all so torn, and I haven't any
idea--

_Mrs. Linde_. We will easily put that right. It is only some of the
trimming come unsewn here and there. Needle and thread? Now then, that's
all we want.

_Nora_. It _is_ nice of you.

_Mrs. Linde_ (_sewing_). So you are going to be dressed up tomorrow,
Nora. I will tell you what--I shall come in for a moment and see you in
your fine feathers. But I have completely forgotten to thank you for a
delightful evening yesterday.

_Nora_ (_gets up, and crosses the stage_). Well I don't think yesterday
was as pleasant as usual. You ought to have come to town a little
earlier, Christine. Certainly Torvald does understand how to make a
house dainty and attractive.

_Mrs. Linde_. And so do you, it seems to me; you are not your father's
daughter for nothing. But tell me, is Doctor Rank always as depressed as
he was yesterday?

_Nora_. No; yesterday it was very noticeable. I must tell you that he
suffers from a _very_ dangerous disease. He has consumption of the
spine, poor creature. His father was a horrible man who committed all
sorts of excesses; and that is why his son was sickly from childhood, do
you understand?

_Mrs. Linde_ (_dropping her sewing_). But, my dearest Nora, how do you
know anything about such things?

_Nora_ (_walking about_). Pooh! When you have three children, you get
visits now and then from--from married women, who know something of
medical matters, and they talk about one thing and another.

_Mrs. Linde_ (_goes on sewing. A short silence_). Does Doctor Rank come
here every day?

_Nora_. Every day regularly. He is Torvald's most intimate friend, and a
great friend of mine too. He is just like one of the family.

_Mrs. Linde_. But tell me this--is he perfectly sincere? I mean, isn't
he the kind of a man that is very anxious to make himself agreeable?

_Nora_. Not in the least. What makes you think that?

_Mrs. Linde_. When you introduced him to me yesterday, he declared he
had often heard my name mentioned in this house; but afterwards I
noticed that your husband hadn't the slightest idea who I was. So how
could Doctor Rank--?

_Nora_. That is quite right, Christine. Torvald is so absurdly fond of
me that he wants me absolutely to himself, as he says. At first he used
to seem almost jealous if I mentioned any of the dear folk at home, so
naturally I gave up doing so. But I often talk about such things with
Doctor Rank, because he likes hearing about them.

_Mrs. Linde_. Listen to me, Nora. You are still very like a child in
many ways, and I am older than you in many ways and have a little more
experience. Let me tell you this--you ought to make an end of it with
Doctor Rank.

_Nora_. What ought I to make an end of?

_Mrs. Linde_. Of two things, I think. Yesterday you talked some nonsense
about a rich admirer who was to leave you money--

_Nora_. An admirer who doesn't exist, unfortunately! But what then?

_Mrs. Linde_. Is Doctor Rank a man of means?

_Nora_. Yes, he is.

_Mrs. Linde_. And has no one to provide for?

_Nora_. No, no one; but--

_Mrs. Linde_. And comes here every day?

_Nora_. Yes, I told you so.

_Mrs. Linde_. But how can this well-bred man be so tactless?

_Nora_. I don't understand you at all.

_Mrs. Linde_. Don't prevaricate, Nora. Do you suppose I don't guess who
lent you the two hundred and fifty pounds.

_Nora_. Are you out of your senses? How can you think of such a thing! A
friend of ours, who comes here every day! Do you realise what a horribly
painful position that would be?

_Mrs. Linde_. Then it really isn't he?

_Nora_. No, certainly not. It would never have entered into my head for
a moment. Besides, he had no money to lend then; he came into his money
afterwards.

_Mrs. Linde_. Well, I think that was lucky for you, my dear Nora.

_Nora_. No, it would never have come into my head to ask Doctor Rank.
Although I am quite sure that if I had asked him--

_Mrs. Linde_. But of course you won't.

_Nora_. Of course not. I have no reason to think it could possibly be
necessary. But I am quite sure that if I told Doctor Rank--

_Mrs. Linde_. Behind your husband's back?

_Nora_. I must make an end of it with the other one, and that will be
behind his back too. I _must_ make an end of it with him.

_Mrs. Linde_. Yes, that is what I told you yesterday, but--

_Nora_ (_walking up and down_). A man can put a thing like that straight
much easier than a woman--

_Mrs. Linde_. One's husband, yes.

_Nora_. Nonsense! (_Standing still_. ) When you pay off a debt you get
your bond back, don't you?

_Mrs. Linde_. Yes, as a matter of course.

_Nora_. And can tear it into a hundred thousand pieces, and burn it
up--the nasty, dirty paper!

_Mrs. Linde_ (_looks hard at her, lays down her sewing and gets up
slowly_). Nora, you are concealing something from me.

_Nora_. Do I look as if I were?

_Mrs. Linde_. Something has happened to you since yesterday morning.
Nora, what is it?

_Nora_ (_going nearer to her_). Christine! (_Listens_. ) Hush! there's
Torvald come home. Do you mind going in to the children for the present?
Torvald can't bear to see dressmaking going on. Let Anne help you.

_Mrs. Linde_ (_gathering some of the things together_). Certainly--but I
am not going away from here till we have had it out with one another.
(_She goes into the room, on the left, as Helmer comes in from, the
hall_. )

_Nora_ (_going up to_ HELMAR). I have wanted you so much, Torvald dear.

_Helmer_. Was that the dressmaker?

_Nora_. No, it was Christine; she is helping me to put my dress in
order. You will see I shall look quite smart.

_Helmer_. Wasn't that a happy thought of mine, now?

_Nora_. Splendid! But don't you think it is nice of me, too, to do as
you wish?

_Helmer_. Nice? --because you do as your husband wishes? Well, well, you
little rogue, I am sure you did not mean it in that way. But I am not
going to disturb you; you will want to be trying on your dress, I
expect.

_Nora_. I suppose you are going to work.

_Helmer_. Yes. (_Shows her a bundle of papers_. ) Look at that. I have
just been into the bank. (_Turns to go into his room_. )

_Nora_. Torvald.

_Helmer_. Yes.

_Nora_. If your little squirrel were to ask you for something very, very
prettily--?

_Helmer_. What then?

_Nora_. Would you do it?

_Helmer_. I should like to hear what it is, first.

_Nora_.