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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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[Puts his arm round her.] That’s so, isn’t it? Yes, I was sure of it. [Lets her go] And now we’ll say no more about it. [Sits down before the fire.] Oh, how cosy and quiet it is here! [Glances into his documents.] NORA[Busy with the tree, after a short silence.] Torvald! HELMER Yes. NORA I’m looking forward so much to the Stenborgs’ fancy ball the day after to-morrow. HELMER And I’m on tenterhooks to see what surprise you have in store for me. NORA Oh, it’s too tiresome! HELMER What is? NORA I can’t think of anything good. Everything seems so foolish and meaningless. HELMER Has little Nora made that discovery? NORA[Behind his chair, with her arms on the back.] Are you very busy, Torvald? HELMER WellNORA What papers are those? HELMER Bank business. NORA Already! HELMER I have got the retiring manager to let me make some necessary changes in the staff and the organization. I can do this during Christmas week. I want to have everything straight by the New Year. NORA Then that’s why that poor KrogstadHELMER H’m. NORA[Still leaning over the chair-back and slowly stroking his hair.] If you hadn’t been so very busy, I should have asked you a great, great favour, Torvald. HELMER What can it be? Out with it. NORA Nobody has such perfect taste as you; and I should so love to look well at the fancy ball. Torvald, dear, couldn’t you take me in hand, and settle what I’m to be, and arrange my costume for me? HELMER Aha! So my wilful little woman is at a loss, and making signals of distress. NORA Yes, please, Torvald. I can’t get on without your help. HELMER Well, well, I’ll think it over, and we’ll soon hit upon something. NORA Oh, how good that is of you! [Goes to the tree again; pause.] How well the red flowers show.- Tell me, was it anything so very dreadful this Krogstad got into trouble about? HELMER Forgery, that’s all. Don’t you know what that means? NORA Mayn’t he have been driven to it by need? HELMER Yes; or, like so many others, he may have done it in pure heedlessness. I am not so hard-hearted as to condemn a man absolutely for a single fault. NORA No, surely not, Torvald! HELMER Many a man can retrieve his character, if he owns his crime and takes the punishment. NORA Punishment-? HELMER But Krogstad didn’t do that. He evaded the law by means of tricks and subterfuges; and that is what has morally ruined him. |
