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 two.

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 sick-house.

[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 way—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 book-keeping, 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 book-keeping?

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—

MRS LINDE: Please don’t think of it! Goodbye, Nora dear, and many thanks.

NORA: Goodbye for the present. Of course you will come back this evening. And you too, Dr. Rank. What do you say? If you are well enough? Oh, you must be! Wrap yourself up well. [They go to the door all talking together. Children’s voices are heard on the staircase.]

NORA: There they are! There they are! [She runs to open the door. The NURSE comes in with THE CHILDREN.] Come in! Come in! [Stoops and kisses them.] Oh, you sweet blessings! Look at them, Christine! Aren’t they darlings?

RANK: Don’t let us stand here in the draught.

HELMER: Come along, Mrs Linde; the place will only be bearable for a mother now!

[RANK, HELMER, and MRS LINDE go downstairs. The NURSE comes forward with THE CHILDREN; NORA shuts the hall door.]

NORA: How fresh and well you look! Such red cheeks like apples and roses. [THE CHILDREN all talk at once while she speaks to them.] Have you had great fun? That’s splendid! What, you pulled both Emmy and Bob along on the sledge?—both at once?—that was good. You are a clever boy, Ivar.