le.

_Nurse_. Little Nora, poor dear, had no other mother but me.

_Nora_. And if my little ones had no other mother, I am sure you
would--What nonsense I am talking! (_Opens the box._) Go in to them. Now
I must--. You will see tomorrow how charming I shall look.

_Nurse_. I am sure there will be no one at the ball so charming as you,
ma'am. (_Goes into the room on the left._)

_Nora_ (_begins to unpack the box, but soon pushes it away from her_).
If only I dared go out. If only no one would come. If only I could be
sure nothing would happen here in the meantime. Stuff and nonsense! No
one will come. Only I mustn't think about it. I will brush my muff. What
lovely, lovely gloves! Out of my thoughts, out of my thoughts! One, two,
three, four, five, six--(_Screams._) Ah! there is someone coming--.
(_Makes a movement towards the door, but stands irresolute_.)

(_Enter_ MRS. LINDE _from the hall, where she has taken off her cloak
and hat_.)

_Nora_. Oh, it's you, Christine. There is no one else out there, is
there? How good of you to come!

_Mrs. Linde_. I heard you were up asking for me.

_Nora_. Yes, I was passing by. As a matter of fact, it is something you
could help me with. Let us sit down here on the sofa. Look here.
Tomorrow evening there is to be a fancy-dress ball at the Stenborgs',
who live above us; and Torvald wants me to go as a Neapolitan
fisher-girl, and dance the Tarantella that I learnt at Capri.

_Mrs. Linde_. I see; you are going to keep up the character.

_Nora_. Yes, Torvald wants me to. Look, here is the dress; Torvald had
it made for me there, but now it is all so torn, and I haven't any
idea--

_Mrs. Linde_. We will easily put that right. It is only some of the
trimming come unsewn here and there. Needle and thread? Now then, that's
all we want.

_Nora_. It _is_ nice of you.

_Mrs. Linde_ (_sewing_). So you are going to be dressed up tomorrow,
Nora. I will tell you what--I shall come in for a moment and see you in
your fine feathers. But I have completely forgotten to thank you for a
delightful evening yesterday.

_Nora_ (_gets up, and crosses the stage_). Well I don't think yesterday
was as pleasant as usual. You ought to have come to town a little
earlier, Christine. Certainly Torvald does understand how to make a
house dainty and attractive.

_Mrs. Linde_. And so do you, it seems to me; you are not your father's
daughter for nothing. But tell me, is Doctor Rank always as depres