Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen (189 page)

Helmer
. If it is a caller, remember I am not at home.

Maid
(
in the doorway
). A lady to see you, ma’am, — a stranger.

Nora
. Ask her to come in.

Maid
(
to
HELMER). The doctor came at the same time, sir.

Helmer
. Did he go straight into my room?

Maid
. Yes, sir.

(HELMER
goes into his room. The
MAID
ushers in
MRS. LINDE,
who is in traveling dress, and shuts the door
.)

Mrs Linde
(
in a dejected and timid voice
). How do you do, Nora?

Nora
(
doubtfully
). How do you do —

Mrs. Linde
. You don’t recognize me, I suppose.

Nora
No, I don’t know — yes, to be sure, I seem to — (
Suddenly
.) Yes! Christine! Is it really you?

Mrs. Linde
. Yes, it is I.

Nora
. Christine! To think of my not recognising you! And yet how could I — (
In a gentle voice
.) How you have altered, Christine!

Mrs. Linde
. Yes, I have indeed. In nine, ten long years —

Nora
. Is it so long since we met? I suppose it is. The last eight years have been a happy time for me, I can tell you. And so now you have come into the town, and have taken this long journey in winter — that was plucky of you.

Mrs. Linde
. I arrived by steamer this morning.

Nora
. To have some fun at Christmas-time, of course. How delightful! We will have such fun together! But take off your things. You are not cold, I hope. (
Helps her
.) Now we will sit down by the stove, and be cosy. No, take this arm-chair; I will sit here in the rocking-chair. (
Takes her hands
.) Now you look like your old self again; it was only the first moment — You are a little paler, Christine, and perhaps a little thinner.

Mrs. Linde
. And much, much older, Nora.

Nora
. Perhaps a little older; very, very little; certainly not much. (
Stops suddenly and speaks seriously
.) What a thoughtless creature I am, chattering away like this. My poor, dear Christine, do forgive me.

Mrs. Linde
. What do you mean, Nora?

Nora
(
gently
). Poor Christine, you are a widow.

Mrs. Linde
. Yes; it is three years ago now.

Nora
. Yes, I knew; I saw it in the papers. I assure you, Christine, I meant ever so often to write to you at the time, but I always put it off and something always prevented me.

Mrs. Linde
. I quite understand, dear.

Nora
. It was very bad of me, Christine. Poor thing, how you must have suffered. And he left you nothing?

Mrs. Linde
. No.

Nora
. And no children?

Mrs. Linde
. No.

Nora
. Nothing at all, then?

Mrs. Linde
. Not even any sorrow or grief to live upon.

Nora
(
looking incredulously at her
). But, Christine, is that possible?

Mrs. Linde
(
smiles sadly and strokes her hair
). It sometimes happens, Nora.

Nora
. So you are quite alone. How dreadfully sad that must be. I have three lovely children. You can’t see them just now, for they are out with their nurse. But now you must tell me all about it.

Mrs. Linde
. No, no; I want to hear about you.

Nora
. No, you must begin. I mustn’t be selfish today; today I must only think of your affairs. But there is one thing I must tell you. Do you know we have just had a great piece of good luck?

Mrs. Linde
. No, what is it?

Nora
. Just fancy, my husband has been made manager of the Bank!

Mrs. Linde
. Your husband? What good luck!

Nora
. Yes tremendous! A barrister’s profession is such an uncertain thing, especially if he won’t undertake unsavoury cases; and naturally Torvald has never been willing to do that, and I quite agree with him. You may imagine how pleased we are! He is to take up his work in the Bank at the New Year, and then he will have a big salary and lots of commissions. For the future we can live quite differently — we can do just as we like. I feel so relieved and so happy, Christine! It will be splendid to have heaps of money and not need to have any anxiety, won’t it?

Mrs. Linde
. Yes, anyhow I think it would be delightful to have what one needs.

Nora
. No, not only what one needs, but heaps and heaps of money.

Mrs. Linde
(
smiling
). Nora, Nora, haven’t you learnt sense yet? In our schooldays you were a great spendthrift.

Nora
(
laughing
). Yes, that is what Torvald says now. (
Wags her finger at her
.) But “Nora, Nora” is not so silly as you think. We have not been in a position for me to waste money. We have both had to work.

Mrs. Linde
. You too?

Nora
. Yes; odds and ends, needlework, crochet-work, embroidery, and that kind of thing. (
Dropping her voice
.) And other things as well. You know Torvald left his office when we were married? There was no prospect of promotion there, and he had to try and earn more than before. But during the first year he overworked himself dreadfully. You see, he had to make money every way he could, and he worked early and late; but he couldn’t stand it, and fell dreadfully ill, and the doctors said it was necessary for him to go south.

Mrs. Linde
. You spent a whole year in Italy, didn’t you?

Nora
. Yes. It was no easy matter to get away, I can tell you. It was just after Ivar was born; but naturally we had to go. It was a wonderfully beautiful journey, and it saved Torvald’s life. But it cost a tremendous lot of money, Christine.

Mrs. Linde
. So I should think.

Nora
. It cost about two hundred and fifty pounds. That’s a lot, isn’t it?

Mrs. Linde
. Yes, and in emergencies like that it is lucky to have the money.

Nora
. I ought to tell you that we had it from papa.

Mrs. Linde
. Oh, I see. It was just about that time that he died, wasn’t it?

Nora
. Yes; and, just think of it, I couldn’t go and nurse him. I was expecting little Ivar’s birth every day and I had my poor sick Torvald to look after. My dear, kind father — I never saw him again, Christine. That was the saddest time I have known since our marriage.

Mrs. Linde
. I know how fond you were of him. And then you went off to Italy?

Nora
. Yes; you see we had money then, and the doctors insisted on our going, so we started a month later.

Mrs. Linde
. And your husband came back quite well?

Nora
. As sound as a bell!

Mrs Linde
. But — the doctor?

Nora
. What doctor?

Mrs Linde
. I thought your maid said the gentleman who arrived here just as I did, was the doctor?

Nora
. Yes, that was Doctor Rank, but he doesn’t come here professionally. He is our greatest friend, and comes in at least once every day. No, Torvald has not had an hour’s illness since then, and our children are strong and healthy and so am I. (
Jumps up and claps her hands
.) Christine! Christine! it’s good to be alive and happy! — But how horrid of me; I am talking of nothing but my own affairs. (
Sits on a stool near her, and rests her arms on her knees
.) You mustn’t be angry with me. Tell me, is it really true that you did not love your husband? Why did you marry him?

Mrs. Linde
. My mother was alive then, and was bedridden and helpless, and I had to provide for my two younger brothers; so I did not think I was justified in refusing his offer.

Nora
. No, perhaps you were quite right. He was rich at that time, then?

Mrs. Linde
. I believe he was quite well off. But his business was a precarious one; and, when he died, it all went to pieces and there was nothing left.

Nora
. And then? —

Mrs. Linde
. Well, I had to turn my hand to anything I could find — first a small shop, then a small school, and so on. The last three years have seemed like one long working-day, with no rest. Now it is at an end, Nora. My poor mother needs me no more, for she is gone; and the boys do not need me either; they have got situations and can shift for themselves.

Nora
. What a relief you must feel it —

Mrs. Linde
. No, indeed; I only feel my life unspeakably empty. No one to live for any more. (
Gets up restlessly
.) That is why I could not stand the life in my little backwater any longer. I hope it may be easier here to find something which will busy me and occupy my thoughts. If only I could have the good luck to get some regular work — office work of some kind —

Nora
. But, Christine, that is so frightfully tiring, and you look tired out now. You had far better go away to some watering-place.

Mrs. Linde
(
walking to the window
). I have no father to give me money for a journey, Nora.

Nora
(
rising
). Oh, don’t be angry with me.

Mrs. Linde
(
going up to her
). It is you that must not be angry with me, dear. The worst of a position like mine is that it makes one so bitter. No one to work for, and yet obliged to be always on the look-out for chances. One must live, and so one becomes selfish. When you told me of the happy turn your fortunes have taken — you will hardly believe it — I was delighted not so much on your account as on my own.

Nora
. How do you mean? — Oh, I understand. You mean that perhaps Torvald could get you something to do.

Mrs. Linde
. Yes, that was what I was thinking of.

Nora
. He must, Christine. Just leave it to me; I will broach the subject very cleverly — I will think of something that will please him very much. It will make me so happy to be of some use to you.

Mrs. Linde
. How kind you are, Nora, to be so anxious to help me! It is doubly kind in you, for you know so little of the burdens and troubles of life.

Nora
. I — ? I know so little of them?

Mrs Linde
(
smiling
). My dear! Small household cares and that sort of thing! — You are a child, Nora.

Nora
(
tosses her head and crosses the stage
). You ought not to be so superior.

Mrs. Linde
. No?

Nora
. You are just like all the others. They all think that I am incapable of anything really serious —

Mrs. Linde
. Come, come —

Nora
. — that I have gone through nothing in this world of cares.

Mrs. Linde
. But, my dear Nora, you have just told me all your troubles.

Nora
. Pooh! — those were trifles. (
Lowering her voice
.) I have not told you the important thing.