Henrik Ibsen: Doll's House

NORA

Be so good as to go into the study, then. ( She bows indifferently to him and shuts the door into the hall; then comes back and makes up the fire in the stove .)

MRS. LINDE

Nora—who was that man?

NORA

A lawyer, of the name of Krogstad.

MRS. LINDE

Then it really was he.

NORA

Do you know the man?

MRS. LINDE

I used to—many years ago. At one time he was a solicitor’s clerk in our town.

NORA

Yes, he was.

MRS. LINDE

He is greatly altered.

NORA

He made a very unhappy marriage.

MRS. LINDE

He is a widower now, isn’t he?

NORA

With several children. There now, it is burning up. ( Shuts the door of the stove and moves the rocking chair aside .)

MRS. LINDE

They say he carries on various kinds of business.

NORA

Really! Perhaps he does; I don’t know anything about it. But don’t let us think of business; it is so tiresome.

DOCTOR RANK

( Comes out of HELMER’S study . Before he shuts the door he calls to him ). No, my dear fellow, I won’t disturb you; I would rather go in to your wife for a little while. ( Shuts the door and sees MRS. LINDE) I beg your pardon; I am afraid I am disturbing you too.

NORA

No, not at all. ( Introducing him. ) Doctor Rank, Mrs. Linde.

RANK

I have often heard Mrs. Linde’s name mentioned here. I think I passed you on the stairs when I arrived, Mrs. Linde?

MRS. LINDE

Yes, I go up very slowly; I can’t manage stairs well.

RANK

Ah! some slight internal weakness?

MRS. LINDE

No, the fact is I have been overworking myself.

RANK

Nothing more than that? Then I suppose you have come to town to amuse yourself with our entertainments?

MRS. LINDE

I have come to look for work.

RANK

Is that a good cure for overwork?

MRS. LINDE

One must live, Doctor Rank.

RANK

Yes, the general opinion seems to be that it is necessary.

NORA

Look here, Doctor Rank—you know you want to live.

RANK

Certainly. However wretched I may feel, I want to prolong the agony as long as possible. All my patients are like that. And so are those who are morally diseased; one of them, and a bad case too, is at this very moment with Helmer—

MRS. LINDE

( Sadly .) Ah!

NORA

Whom do you mean?

RANK

A lawyer of the name of Krogstad, a fellow you don’t know at all. He suffers from a diseased moral character, Mrs. Helmer; but even he began talking of its being highly important that he should live.

NORA

Did he? What did he want to speak to Torvald about?

RANK

I have no idea; I only heard that it was something about the Bank.

NORA

I didn’t know this—what’s his name—Krogstad had anything to do with the Bank.

RANK

Yes, he has some sort of appointment there. ( To MRS. LINDE) I don’t know whether you find also in your part of the world that there are certain people who go zealously snuffing about to smell out moral corruption, and, as soon as they have found some, put the person concerned into some lucrative position where they can keep their eye on him. Healthy natures are left out in the cold.

MRS. LINDE

Still I think the sick are those who most need taking care of.

RANK

( Shrugging his shoulders .) Yes, there you are. That is the sentiment that is turning Society into a sickhouse.

(NORA, who has been absorbed in her thoughts, breaks out into smothered laughter and claps her hands .)

RANK

Why do you laugh at that? Have you any notion what Society really is?

NORA

What do I care about tiresome Society? I am laughing at something quite different, something extremely amusing. Tell me, Doctor Rank, are all the people who are employed in the Bank dependent on Torvald now?

RANK

Is that what you find so extremely amusing?

NORA

( Smiling and humming. ) That’s my affair! ( Walking about the room .) It’s perfectly glorious to think that we have—that Torvald has so much power over so many people. ( Takes the packet from her pocket .) Doctor Rank, what do you say to a macaroon?

RANK

What, macaroons? I thought they were forbidden here.

NORA

Yes, but these are some Christine gave me.

MRS. LINDE

What! I?—

NORA

Oh, well, don’t be alarmed! You couldn’t know that Torvald had forbidden them. I must tell you that he is afraid they will spoil my teeth. But, bah!—once in a while—That’s so, isn’t it, Doctor Rank? By your leave! ( Puts a macaroon into his mouth .) You must have one too, Christine. And I shall have one, just a little one—or at most two. ( Walking about .) I am tremendously happy. There is just one thing in the world now that I should dearly love to do.

RANK

Well, what is that?

NORA

It’s something I should dearly love to say, if Torvald could hear me.

RANK

Well, why can’t you say it?

NORA

No, I daren’t; it’s so shocking.

MRS. LINDE

Shocking?

RANK

Well, I should not advise you to say it. Still, with us you might. What is it you would so much like to say if Torvald could hear you?

NORA

I should just love to say—Well, I’m damned!

RANK

Are you mad?

MRS. LINDE

Nora, dear—!

RANK

Say it, here he is!

NORA

( Hiding the packet ). Hush! Hush! Hush! (HELMER comes out of his room, with his coat over his arm and his hat in his hand .)

NORA

Well, Torvald dear, have you got rid of him?

HELMER

Yes, he has just gone.

NORA

Let me introduce you—this is Christine, who has come to town.

HELMER

Christine—? Excuse me, but I don’t know—

NORA

Mrs. Linde, dear; Christine Linde.

HELMER

Of course. A school friend of my wife’s, I presume?

MRS. LINDE

Yes, we have known each other since then.

NORA

And just think, she has taken a long journey in order to see you.

HELMER

What do you mean? Mrs. Linde. No, really, I—

NORA

Christine is tremendously clever at bookkeeping, and she is frightfully anxious to work under some clever man, so as to perfect herself—

HELMER

Very sensible, Mrs. Linde.

NORA

And when she heard you had been appointed manager of the Bank—the news was telegraphed, you know—she travelled here as quick as she could. Torvald, I am sure you will be able to do something for Christine, for my sake, won’t you?

HELMER

Well, it is not altogether impossible. I presume you are a widow, Mrs. Linde?

MRS. LINDE

Yes.

HELMER

And have had some experience of bookkeeping?

MRS. LINDE

Yes, a fair amount.

HELMER

Ah! well, it’s very likely I may be able to find something for you—

NORA

( Clapping her hands .) What did I tell you? What did I tell you?

HELMER

You have just come at a fortunate moment, Mrs. Linde.

MRS. LINDE

How am I to thank you?

HELMER

There is no need. ( Puts on his coat .) But today you must excuse me—

RANK

Wait a minute; I will come with you. ( Brings his fur coat from the hall and warms it at the fire .)

NORA

Don’t be long away, Torvald dear.

HELMER

About an hour, not more.

NORA

Are you going too, Christine?

MRS. LINDE

( Putting on her cloak .) Yes, I must go and look for a room.

HELMER

Oh, well then, we can walk down the street together.

NORA

( Helping her. ) What a pity it is we are so short of space here; I am afraid it is impossible for us—