Henrik Ibsen - Doll's House

MRS. LINDE

( Who has read the card .) I see he lives at the corner here.

NORA

Yes, but it’s no use. It is hopeless. The letter is lying there in the box.

MRS. LINDE

And your husband keeps the key?

NORA

Yes, always.

MRS. LINDE

Krogstad must ask for his letter back unread, he must find some pretence—

NORA

But it is just at this time that Torvald generally—

MRS. LINDE

You must delay him. Go in to him in the meantime. I will come back as soon as I can. (She goes out hurriedly through the hall door.)

Nora.

( Goes to HELMER’S door, opens it and peeps in. ) Torvald!

HELMER

( From the inner room .) Well? May I venture at last to come into my own room again? Come along, Rank, now you will see—( Halting in the doorway .) But what is this?

NORA

What is what, dear?

HELMER

Rank led me to expect a splendid transformation.

RANK

( In the doorway .) I understood so, but evidently I was mistaken.

NORA

Yes, nobody is to have the chance of admiring me in my dress until tomorrow.

HELMER

But, my dear Nora, you look so worn out. Have you been practising too much?

NORA

No, I have not practised at all.

HELMER

But you will need to—

NORA

Yes, indeed I shall, Torvald. But I can’t get on a bit without you to help me; I have absolutely forgotten the whole thing.

HELMER

Oh, we will soon work it up again.

NORA

Yes, help me, Torvald. Promise that you will! I am so nervous about it—all the people. . . . You must give yourself up to me entirely this evening. Not the tiniest bit of business—you mustn’t even take a pen in your hand. Will you promise, Torvald dear?

HELMER

I promise. This evening I will be wholly and absolutely at your service, you helpless little mortal. Ah, by the way, first of all I will just—( Goes towards the hall door .)

NORA

What are you going to do there?

HELMER

Only see if any letters have come.

NORA

No, no! don’t do that, Torvald!

HELMER

Why not?

NORA

Torvald, please don’t. There is nothing there.

HELMER

Well, let me look. ( Turns to go to the letter box . NORA, at the piano, plays the first bars of the Tarantella . HELMER stops in the doorway .) Aha!

NORA

I can’t dance tomorrow if I don’t practise with you.

Helmer.

( Going up to her .) Are you really so afraid of it, dear?

NORA

Yes, so dreadfully afraid of it. Let me practise at once; there is time now, before we go to dinner. Sit down and play for me, Torvald dear; criticise me, and correct me as you play.

HELMER

With great pleasure, if you wish me to. ( Sits down at the piano .)

NORA

( Takes out of the box a tambourine and a long variegated shawl. She hastily drapes the shawl round her. Then she springs to the front of the stage and calls out .). Now play for me! I am going to dance!

(HELMER plays and NORA dances . RANK stands by the piano behind HELMER, and looks on .)

HELMER

( As he plays .) Slower, slower!

NORA

I can’t do it any other way.

HELMER

Not so violently, Nora!

NORA

This is the way.

HELMER

( Stops playing .) No, no—that is not a bit right.

NORA

( Laughing and swinging the tambourine .). Didn’t I tell you so?

RANK

Let me play for her.

HELMER

( Getting up ). Yes, do. I can correct her better then.

(RANK sits down at the piano and plays. NORA dances more and more wildly. HELMER has taken up a position beside the stove, and during her dance gives her frequent instructions. She does not seem to hear him; her hair comes down and falls over her shoulders; she pays no attention to it, but goes on dancing. Enter MRS. LINDE)

MRS. LINDE

( Standing as if spellbound in the doorway .) Oh!—

NORA

( As she dances .) Such fun, Christine!

HELMER

My dear darling Nora, you are dancing as if your life depended on it.

NORA

So it does.

HELMER

Stop, Rank; this is sheer madness. Stop, I tell you! (RANK stops playing, and NORA suddenly stands still . HELMER goes up to her .) I could never have believed it. You have forgotten everything I taught you.

NORA

( Throwing away the tambourine .) There, you see.

HELMER

You will want a lot of coaching.

NORA

Yes, you see how much I need it. You must coach me up to the last minute. Promise me that, Torvald!

HELMER

You can depend on me.

NORA

You must not think of anything but me, either today or tomorrow; you mustn’t open a single letter—not even open the letter box—

HELMER

Ah, you are still afraid of that fellow—

NORA

Yes, indeed I am.

HELMER

Nora, I can tell from your looks that there is a letter from him lying there.

NORA

I don’t know; I think there is; but you must not read anything of that kind now. Nothing horrid must come between us until this is all over.

RANK

( Whispers to HELMER) You mustn’t contradict her.

HELMER

( Taking her in his arms .) The child shall have her way. But tomorrow night, after you have danced—

NORA

Then you will be free. ( The MAID appears in the doorway to the right .)

MAID

Dinner is served, ma’am.

NORA

We will have champagne, Helen.

MAID

Very good, ma’am. ( Exit .)

HELMER

Hullo!—are we going to have a banquet?

NORA

Yes, a champagne banquet until the small hours. ( Calls out .) And a few macaroons, Helen—lots, just for once!

HELMER

Come, come, don’t be so wild and nervous. Be my own little skylark, as you used.

NORA

Yes, dear, I will. But go in now and you too, Doctor Rank. Christine, you must help me to do up my hair.

Rank.

( Whispers to HELMER as they go out. ) I suppose there is nothing—she is not expecting anything?

HELMER

Far from it, my dear fellow; it is simply nothing more than this childish nervousness I was telling you of. ( They go into the right-hand room .)

NORA

Well!

MRS. LINDE

Gone out of town.

NORA

I could tell from your face.

MRS. LINDE

He is coming home tomorrow evening. I wrote a note for him.

NORA

You should have let it alone; you must prevent nothing. After all, it is splendid to be waiting for a wonderful thing to happen.

MRS. LINDE

What is it that you are waiting for?

NORA

Oh, you wouldn’t understand. Go in to them, I will come in a moment. (MRS. LINDE goes into the dining room . NORA stands still for a little while, as if to compose herself. Then she looks at her watch .) Five o’clock. Seven hours until midnight; and then four-and-twenty hours until the next midnight. Then the Tarantella will be over. Twenty-four and seven? Thirty-one hours to live.

HELMER

( From the doorway on the right .) Where’s my little skylark?

NORA

( Going to him with her arms outstretched .) Here she is!

Act III Scene

The same scene. The table has been placed in the middle of the stage, with chairs around it. A lamp is burning on the table. The door into the hall stands open. Dance music is heard in the room above. MRS. LINDE 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 now and then she listens intently for a sound at the outer door .)