Source Text: DOLL2.1Nora: There's someone coming! No, it's no one. Of course -- no one'll come today, it's Christmas Day. Nor tomorrow. But perhaps -- ! No. Nothing in the letter-box. Quite empty. Silly, silly. Of course he won't do anything. It couldn't happen. It isn't possible. Why, I've three small children.
Nurse: I found those fancy dress clothes at last, madam.
Nora: Thank you. Put them on the table.
Nurse: They're all rumpled up.
Nora: Oh, I wish I could tear them into a million pieces!
Nurse: Why, madam! They'll be all right. Just a little patience.
Nora: Yes, of course. I'll go and get Mrs. Linde to help me.
Nurse: What, out again? In this dreadful weather? You'll catch a chill, madam.
Nora: Well, that wouldn't be the worst. How are the children?
Nora: Playing with their Christmas presents, poor little dears. But --
Nora: Are they still asking to see me?
Nurse: They're so used to having their Mummy with them.
Nora: Yes, but, Anne-Marie, from now on I shan't be able to spend so much time with them.
Nurse: Well, children get used to anything in time.
Nora: Do you think so? Do you think they'd forget their mother if she went away from them -- for ever?
Nurse: Mercy's sake, madam! For ever!
Nora: Tell me, Anne-Marie -- I've so often wondered. How could you bear to give your child away -- to strangers?
Nurse: But I had to when I came to nurse my little Miss Nora.
Nora: Do you mean you wanted to?
Nurse: When I had the chance of such a good job? A poor girl what's got into trouble can't afford to pick and choose. That good-for-nothing didn't life a finger.
Nora: But your daughter must have completely forgotten you.
Nurse: Oh no, indeed she hasn't. She's written me twice, once when she got confirmed and then again when she got married.
Nora: Dear old Anne-Marie, you were a good mother to me.
Nurse: Poor little Miss Nora, you never had any mother but me.
Nora: And if my little ones had no one else, I know you would -- no, silly, silly, silly! Go back to them, Anne- Marie. Now I must -- Tomorrow you'll see how pretty I shall look.
Nurse: why, there'll be no one at the ball as beautiful as my Miss Nora.
Nora: Oh, if only I dared go out! If I could be sure no one would come, and nothing would happen while I was away! Stupid, stupid! No one will come. I just mustn't think about it. Brush this muff. Pretty gloves, pretty gloves! Don't think about it, don't think about it! One, two, three, four, five, six -- Ah -- they're coming -- !
Nora: Oh, it's you, Christine. There's no one else out there, is there? Oh, I'm so glad you've come.
Mrs. Linde: I hear you were at my room asking for me.
Nora: Yes, I just happened to be passing. I want to ask you to help me with something. Let's sit down here on the sofa. Look at this. There's going to be a fancy dress ball tomorrow night upstairs at Consul Stenborg's, and Torvald wants me to go as a Neapolitan fisher-girl and dance the tarantella. I learned it on Capri.
Mrs. Linde: I say, are you going to give a performance?
Nora: Yes, Torvald says I should. Look, here's the dress. Torvald had it made for me in Italy; now it's all so torn, I don't know --
Mrs. Linde: Oh, we'll soon put that right; the stitching's just come away. Needle and thread? Ah, here we are.
Nora: You're being awfully sweet.
Mrs. Linde: So you're going to dress up tomorrow, Nora? I must pop over for a moment to see how you look. Oh, but I've completely forgotten to thank you for that nice evening yesterday.
Nora: Oh, I didn't think it was as nice as usual. You ought to have come to town a little earlier, Christine . . . Yes, Torvald understands how to make a home look attractive.
Mrs. Linde: I'm sure you do, too. You're not your father's daughter for nothing. But, tell me. Is Dr. Rank always in such low spirits as he was yesterday?
Nora: No, last night it was very noticeable. But he's got a terrible disease; he's got spinal tuberculosis, poor man. His father was a frightful creature who kept mistresses and so on. As a result Dr. Rank has been sickly ever since he was a child -- you understand --
Mrs. Linde: But, my dear Nora, how on earth did you get to know about such things?
Nora: Oh, don't be silly, Christine -- when one has three children, one come into contact with women who -- well, who know about medical matters, and they tell one a thing or two.
Mrs. Linde: Does Dr. Rank visit you every day?
Nora: Yes, every day. He's Torvald's oldest friend, and a good friend to me too. Dr. Rank's almost one of the family.
Mrs. Linde: But, tell me -- is he quite sincere? I mean, doesn't he rather say the sort of thing he thinks people want to hear?
Nora: No, quite the contrary. What gave you that idea?
Mrs. Linde: When you introduced me to him yesterday, he said he'd often heard my name mentioned here. But later I noticed your husband had no idea who I was. So how could Dr. Rank -- ?
Nora: Yes, that's quite right, Christine. You see, Torvald's so hopelessly in love with me that he wants to have me all to himself -- those were his very words. When we first married, he got quite jealous if I as much as mentioned any of my old friends back home. So naturally, I stopped talking about them. But I often chat with Dr. Rank about that kind of thing. He enjoys it, you see.
Mrs. Linde: Now listen, Nora. In many ways you're still a child; I'm a bit older than you and have a little more experience of the world. There's something I want to say to you. You ought to give up this business with Dr. Rank.
Nora: What business?
Mrs. Linde: Well, everything. Last night you were speaking about this rich admirer of yours who was going to give you money --
Nora: Yes, and who doesn't exist -- unfortunately. But what's that got to do with -- ?
Mrs. Linde: Is Dr. Rank rich?
Nora: Yes.
Mrs. Linde: And he has no dependents?
Nora: No, no one. But --
Mrs. Linde: And he comes here to see you every day?
Nora: Yes, I've told you.
Mrs. Linde: But how dare a man of his education be so forward?
Nora: What on earth are you talking about?
Mrs. Linde: Oh, stop pretending, Nora. Do you think I haven't guessed who it was who lent you that two hundred pounds?
Nora: Are you out of your mind? How could you imagine such a thing? A friend, someone who comes here every day! Why, that'd be an impossible situation!
Mrs. Linde: Then it really wasn't him?
Nora: No, of course not. I've never for a moment dreamed of -- anyway, he hadn't any money to lend then. He didn't come into that till later.
Mrs. Linde: Well, I think that was a lucky thing for you, Nora dear.
Nora: No, I could never have dreamed of asking Dr. Rank -- Though I'm sure that if I ever did ask him --
Mrs. Linde: But of course you won't.
Nora: Of course not. I can't imagine that it should ever become necessary. But I'm perfectly sure that if I did speak to Dr. Rank --
Mrs. Linde: Behind your husband's back?
Nora: I've got to get out of this other business; and that's been going on behind his back. I've got to get out of it.
Mrs. Linde: Yes, well, that's what I told you yesterday. But --
Nora: It's much easier for a man to arrange these things than a woman --
Mrs. Linde: One's own husband, yes.
Nora: Oh, bosh. When you've completely repaid a debt, you get your I.O.U. back, don't you?
Mrs. Linde: Yes, of course.
Nora: And you can tear it into a thousand pieces and burn the filthy, beastly thing!
Mrs. Linde: Nora, you're hiding something from me.
Nora: Can you see that?
Mrs. Linde: Something has happened since yesterday morning. Nora, what is it?
Nora: Christine! Ssh! There's Torvald. Would you mind going into the nursery for a few minutes? Torvald can't bear to see sewing around. Anne-Marie'll help you.
Mrs. Linde: Very well. But I shan't leave this house until we've talked this matter out.