Read Online Doll's House (9781443435505) by Henrik Ibsen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Henrik Ibsen
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this again. I will never forgive him for that. Goodbye, Mrs. Helmer. (
Exit through the hall
.)
NORA
(
Goes to the hall door, opens it slightly and listens
.) He is going. He is not putting the letter in the box. Oh no, no! thatâs impossible! (
Opens the door by degrees
.) What is that? He is standing outside. He is not going downstairs. Is he hesitating? Can heâ? (
A letter drops into the box; then
KROGSTADâS
footsteps are heard, until they die away as he goes downstairs
. NORA
utters a stifled cry, and runs across the room to the table by the sofa. A short pause
.)
NORA
In the letter box. (
Steals across to the hall door
.) There it liesâTorvald, 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 canât see anything more to mend now. Would you like to try it onâ?
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, lookâyou can see it through the glass in the letter box.
MRS. LINDE
Yes, I see it.
NORA
That letter is from Krogstad.
MRS. LINDE
Noraâit was Krogstad who lent you the money!
NORA
Yes, and now Torvald will know all about it.
MRS. LINDE
Believe me, Nora, thatâs the best thing for both of you.
NORA
You donât know all. I forged a name.
MRS. LINDE
Good heavensâ!
NORA
I only want to say this to you, Christineâyou must be my witness.
MRS. LINDE
Your witness? What do you mean? What am I toâ?
NORA
If I should go out of my mindâand it might easily happenâ
MRS. LINDE
Nora!
NORA
Or if anything else should happen to meâanything, for instance, that might prevent my being hereâ
MRS. LINDE
Nora! Nora! you are quite out of your mind.
NORA
And if it should happen that there were some one who wanted to take all the responsibility, all the blame, you understandâ
MRS. LINDE
Yes, yesâbut how can you supposeâ?
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 donât 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!âBut it is so terrible, Christine; it mustnât happen, not for all the world.
MRS. LINDE
I will go at once and see Krogstad.
NORA
Donât 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 knowâ? Yes (
feeling in her pocket
), here is his card. But the letter, the letterâ!
HELMER
(
Calls from his room, knocking at the door
.) Nora!
NORA
(
Cries out anxiously
). Oh, whatâs that? What do you want?
HELMER
Donât be so frightened. We are not coming in; you have locked the door. Are you trying on your dress?
NORA
Yes, thatâs it. I look so nice, Torvald.
MRS. LINDE
(
Who has read the card
.) I see he lives at the corner here.
NORA
Yes, but itâs 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 pretenceâ
NORA
But it is just at this time that Torvald generallyâ
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
HELMERâS
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
Exit through the hall
.)
NORA
(
Goes to the hall door, opens it slightly and listens
.) He is going. He is not putting the letter in the box. Oh no, no! thatâs impossible! (
Opens the door by degrees
.) What is that? He is standing outside. He is not going downstairs. Is he hesitating? Can heâ? (
A letter drops into the box; then
KROGSTADâS
footsteps are heard, until they die away as he goes downstairs
. NORA
utters a stifled cry, and runs across the room to the table by the sofa. A short pause
.)
NORA
In the letter box. (
Steals across to the hall door
.) There it liesâTorvald, 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 canât see anything more to mend now. Would you like to try it onâ?
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, lookâyou can see it through the glass in the letter box.
MRS. LINDE
Yes, I see it.
NORA
That letter is from Krogstad.
MRS. LINDE
Noraâit was Krogstad who lent you the money!
NORA
Yes, and now Torvald will know all about it.
MRS. LINDE
Believe me, Nora, thatâs the best thing for both of you.
NORA
You donât know all. I forged a name.
MRS. LINDE
Good heavensâ!
NORA
I only want to say this to you, Christineâyou must be my witness.
MRS. LINDE
Your witness? What do you mean? What am I toâ?
NORA
If I should go out of my mindâand it might easily happenâ
MRS. LINDE
Nora!
NORA
Or if anything else should happen to meâanything, for instance, that might prevent my being hereâ
MRS. LINDE
Nora! Nora! you are quite out of your mind.
NORA
And if it should happen that there were some one who wanted to take all the responsibility, all the blame, you understandâ
MRS. LINDE
Yes, yesâbut how can you supposeâ?
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 donât 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!âBut it is so terrible, Christine; it mustnât happen, not for all the world.
MRS. LINDE
I will go at once and see Krogstad.
NORA
Donât 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 knowâ? Yes (
feeling in her pocket
), here is his card. But the letter, the letterâ!
HELMER
(
Calls from his room, knocking at the door
.) Nora!
NORA
(
Cries out anxiously
). Oh, whatâs that? What do you want?
HELMER
Donât be so frightened. We are not coming in; you have locked the door. Are you trying on your dress?
NORA
Yes, thatâs it. I look so nice, Torvald.
MRS. LINDE
(
Who has read the card
.) I see he lives at the corner here.
NORA
Yes, but itâs 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 pretenceâ
NORA
But it is just at this time that Torvald generallyâ
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
HELMERâS
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
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