A short pause.]

NORA: In the letter-box. [Steals across to the hall door.] There it lies—Torvald, Torvald, there is no hope for us now!

[MRS LINDE comes in from the room on the left, carrying the dress.]

MRS LINDE: There, I can’t see anything more to mend now. Would you like to try it on—?

NORA: [In a hoarse whisper.] Christine, come here.

MRS LINDE: [Throwing the dress down on the sofa.] What is the matter with you? You look so agitated!

NORA: Come here. Do you see that letter? There, look—you can see it through the glass in the letter-box.

MRS LINDE: Yes, I see it.

NORA: That letter is from Krogstad.

MRS LINDE: Nora—it was Krogstad who lent you the money!

NORA: Yes, and now Torvald will know all about it.

MRS LINDE: Believe me, Nora, that’s the best thing for both of you.

NORA: You don’t know all. I forged a name.

MRS LINDE: Good heavens—!

NORA: I only want to say this to you, Christine—you must be my witness.

MRS LINDE: Your witness? What do you mean? What am I to—?

NORA: If I should go out of my mind—and it might easily happen—

MRS LINDE: Nora!

NORA: Or if anything else should happen to me—anything, for instance, that might prevent my being here—

MRS LINDE: Nora! Nora! You are quite out of your mind.

NORA: And if it should happen that there were someone who wanted to take all the responsibility, all the blame, you understand—

MRS LINDE: Yes, yes—but how can you suppose—?

NORA: Then you must be my witness, that it is not true, Christine. I am not out of my mind at all; I am in my right senses now, and I tell you no one else has known anything about it; I, and I alone, did the whole thing. Remember that.

MRS LINDE: I will, indeed. But I don’t understand all this.

NORA: How should you understand it? A wonderful thing is going to happen!

MRS LINDE: A wonderful thing?

NORA: Yes, a wonderful thing!—But it is so terrible, Christine; it mustn’t happen, not for all the world.

MRS LINDE: I will go at once and see Krogstad.

NORA: Don’t go to him; he will do you some harm.

MRS LINDE: There was a time when he would gladly do anything for my sake.

NORA: He?

MRS LINDE: Where does he live?

NORA: How should I know—? Yes [feeling in her pocket] here is his card. But the letter, the letter—!

HELMER: [Calls from his room, knocking at the door.] Nora! Nora [Cries out anxiously]. Oh, what’s that? What do you want?

HELMER: Don’t be so frightened. We are not coming in; you have locked the door. Are you trying on your dress?

NORA: Yes, that’s it. I look so nice, Torvald.

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 around her.