Henrik Ibsen - Doll's House

KROGSTAD

I have never had such an amazing piece of good fortune in my life! ( Goes out through the outer door. The door between the room and the hall remains open .)

MRS. LINDE

( Tidying up the room and laying her hat and cloak ready .) What a difference! What a difference! Someone to work for and live for—a home to bring comfort into. That I will do, indeed. I wish they would be quick and come—( Listens .) Ah, there they are now. I must put on my things. ( Takes up her hat and cloak . HELMER’S and NORA’S voices are heard outside; a key is turned, and HELMER brings NORA almost by force into the hall. She is in an Italian costume with a large black shawl around her; he is in evening dress, and a black domino which is flying open .)

NORA

( Hanging back in the doorway, and struggling with him .) No, no, no!—don’t take me in. I want to go upstairs again; I don’t want to leave so early.

HELMER

But, my dearest Nora—

NORA

Please, Torvald dear—please, please—only an hour more.

HELMER

Not a single minute, my sweet Nora. You know that was our agreement. Come along into the room; you are catching cold standing there. ( He brings her gently into the room, in spite of her resistance .)

MRS. LINDE

Good evening.

NORA

Christine!

HELMER

You are here, so late, Mrs. Linde?

MRS. LINDE

Yes, you must excuse me; I was so anxious to see Nora in her dress.

NORA

Have you been sitting here waiting for me?

MRS. LINDE

Yes, unfortunately I came too late, you had already gone upstairs; and I thought I couldn’t go away again without having seen you.

HELMER

( Taking off NORA’S shawl .) Yes, take a good look at her. I think she is worth looking at. Isn’t she charming, Mrs. Linde?

MRS. LINDE

Yes, indeed she is.

HELMER

Doesn’t she look remarkably pretty? Everyone thought so at the dance. But she is terribly self-willed, this sweet little person. What are we to do with her? You will hardly believe that I had almost to bring her away by force.

NORA

Torvald, you will repent not having let me stay, even if it were only for half an hour.

HELMER

Listen to her, Mrs. Linde! She had danced her Tarantella, and it had been a tremendous success, as it deserved—although possibly the performance was a trifle too realistic—a little more so, I mean, than was strictly compatible with the limitations of art. But never mind about that! The chief thing is, she had made a success—she had made a tremendous success. Do you think I was going to let her remain there after that, and spoil the effect? No, indeed! I took my charming little Capri maiden—my capricious little Capri maiden, I should say—on my arm; took one quick turn round the room; a curtsey on either side, and, as they say in novels, the beautiful apparition disappeared. An exit ought always to be effective, Mrs. Linde; but that is what I cannot make Nora understand. Pooh! this room is hot. ( Throws his domino on a chair, and opens the door of his room .) Hullo! it’s all dark in here. Oh, of course—excuse me. ( He goes in, and lights some candles .)

NORA

( In a hurried and breathless whisper .) Well?

MRS. LINDE

( In a low voice. ) I have had a talk with him.

NORA

Yes, and—

MRS. LINDE

Nora, you must tell your husband all about it.

NORA

( In an expressionless voice .) I knew it.

MRS. LINDE

You have nothing to be afraid of as far as Krogstad is concerned; but you must tell him.

NORA

I won’t tell him.

MRS. LINDE

Then the letter will.

NORA

Thank you, Christine. Now I know what I must do. Hush—!

HELMER

( Coming in again .) Well, Mrs. Linde, have you admired her?

MRS. LINDE

Yes, and now I will say goodnight.

HELMER

What, already? Is this yours, this knitting?

MRS. LINDE

( Taking it .) Yes, thank you, I had very nearly forgotten it.

HELMER

So you knit?

MRS. LINDE

Of course.

HELMER

Do you know, you ought to embroider.

MRS. LINDE

Really? Why?

HELMER

Yes, it’s far more becoming. Let me show you. You hold the embroidery thus in your left hand, and use the needle with the right—like this—with a long, easy sweep. Do you see?

MRS. LINDE

Yes, perhaps—

HELMER

But in the case of knitting—that can never be anything but ungraceful; look here—the arms close together, the knitting-needles going up and down—it has a sort of Chinese effect. That was really excellent champagne they gave us.

MRS. LINDE

Well,—goodnight, Nora, and don’t be self-willed any more.

HELMER

That’s right, Mrs. Linde.

MRS. LINDE

Goodnight, Mr. Helmer.

HELMER

( Accompanying her to the door .) Goodnight, goodnight. I hope you will get home all right. I should be very happy to—but you haven’t any great distance to go. Goodnight, goodnight. ( She goes out; he shuts the door after her, and comes in again. ) Ah!—at last we have got rid of her. She is a frightful bore, that woman.

NORA

Aren’t you very tired, Torvald?

HELMER

No, not in the least.

NORA

Nor sleepy?

HELMER

Not a bit. On the contrary, I feel extraordinarily lively. And you?—you really look both tired and sleepy.

NORA

Yes, I am very tired. I want to go to sleep at once.

HELMER

There, you see it was quite right of me not to let you stay there any longer.

NORA

Everything you do is quite right, Torvald.

HELMER

( Kissing her on the forehead .) Now my little skylark is speaking reasonably. Did you notice what good spirits Rank was in this evening?

NORA

Really? Was he? I didn’t speak to him at all.

HELMER

And I very little, but I have not for a long time seen him in such good form. ( Looks for a while at her and then goes nearer to her .) It is delightful to be at home by ourselves again, to be all alone with you—you fascinating, charming little darling!

NORA

Don’t look at me like that, Torvald.

HELMER

Why shouldn’t I look at my dearest treasure?—at all the beauty that is mine, all my very own?

NORA

( Going to the other side of the table .) You mustn’t say things like that to me tonight.

HELMER

( Following her .) You have still got the Tarantella in your blood, I see. And it makes you more captivating than ever. Listen—the guests are beginning to go now. ( In a lower voice .) Nora—soon the whole house will be quiet.

NORA

Yes, I hope so.

HELMER

Yes, my own darling Nora. Do you know, when I am out at a party with you like this, why I speak so little to you, keep away from you, and only send a stolen glance in your direction now and then?—do you know why I do that? It is because I make believe to myself that we are secretly in love, and you are my secretly promised bride, and that no one suspects there is anything between us.

NORA

Yes, yes—I know very well your thoughts are with me all the time.

HELMER

And when we are leaving, and I am putting the shawl over your beautiful young shoulders—on your lovely neck—then I imagine that you are my young bride and that we have just come from the wedding, and I am bringing you for the first time into our home—to be alone with you for the first time—quite alone with my shy little darling! All this evening I have longed for nothing but you. When I watched the seductive figures of the Tarantella, my blood was on fire; I could endure it no longer, and that was why I brought you down so early.