No. II.—NORA; OR, THE BIRD-CAGE (ET DIKKISVÖIT).
ACT III.
The same Room—except that the sofa has been slightly moved, and one of the Japanese cotton-wool frogs has fallen into the fireplace. Mrs. LINDEN sits and reads a book—but without understanding a single line.
Mrs. Linden (laying down book, as a light tread is heard outside). Here he is at last! (KROGSTAD comes in, and stands in the doorway.) Mr. KROGSTAD, I have given you a secret rendezvous in this room, because it belongs to my employer, Mr. HELMER, who has lately discharged you. The etiquette of Norway permits these slight freedoms on the part of a female Cashier.
Krogs. It does. Are we alone? (NORA is heard overhead dancing the Tarantella.) Yes, I hear Mrs. HELMER's fairy footfall above. She dances the Tarantella now—by-and-by she will dance to another tune! (Changing his tone.) I don't exactly know why you should wish to have this interview—after jilting me as you did, long ago, though?
Mrs. L. Don't you? I do. I am a widow—a Norwegian widow. And it has occurred to me that there may be a nobler side to your nature somewhere—though you have not precisely the best of reputations.
Krogs. Right. I am a forger, and a money-lender; I am on the staff of the Norwegian Punch—a most scurrilous paper. More, I have been blackmailing Mrs. HELMER by trading on her fears like a low cowardly cur. But, in spite of all that—(clasping his hands)—there are the makings of a fine man about me yet, CHRISTINA!
Mrs. L. I believe you—at least, I'll chance it. I want some one to care for, and I'll marry you.
Krogs. (suspiciously). On condition, I suppose, that I suppress the letter denouncing Mrs. HELMER?
Mrs. L. How can you think so? I am her dearest friend: but I can still see her faults, and it is my firm opinion that a sharp lesson will do her all the good in the world. She is much too comfortable. So leave the letter in the box, and come home with me.
Krogs. I am wildly happy! Engaged to the female Cashier of the Manager who has discharged me, our future is bright and secure!
[He goes out; and Mrs. LINDEN sets the furniture straight; presently a noise is heard outside, and HELMER enters, dragging NORA in. She is in fancy dress, and he in an open black domino.
Nora. I shan't! It's too early to come away from such a nice party. I won't go to bed! [She whimpers.
Helmer (tenderly). There'sh a naughty lil' larkie for you, Mrs. LINEN! Poshtively had to drag her 'way! She'sh a capricious lil' girl—from Capri. 'Scuse me!—'fraid I've been and made a pun. Shan' 'cur again! Shplendid champagne the Consul gave us—'counts for it! (Sits down, smiling.) Do you knit, Mrs. COTTON?... You shouldn't. Never knit. 'Broider. (Nodding to her, solemnly.) 'Member that. Alwaysh 'broider. More—(hiccoughing)—Oriental! Gobblesh you!—goo'ni!
Mrs. Linden. I only came in to—to see NORA's costume. Now I've seen it, I'll go. [Goes out.
Helmer. Awful bore that woman—hate boresh! (Looks at NORA, then comes nearer.) Oh, you prillil squillikins, I do love you so! Shomehow, I feel sho lively thishevenin'!
Nora (goes to other side of table). I won't have all that, TORVALD!
Helmer. Why? ain't you my lil' lark—ain't thish our lil' cage? Ver-well, then. (A ring.) RANK! confound it all! (Enter Dr. RANK.) RANK, dear old boy, you've been (hiccoughs) going it upstairs. Cap'tal champagne, eh? 'Shamed of you, RANK! [He sits down on sofa, and closes his eyes gently.
Rank. Did you notice it? (with pride). It was almost incredible the amount I contrived to put away. But I shall suffer for it to-morrow (gloomily). Heredity again! I wish I was dead! I do.
Nora. Don't apologise. TORVALD was just as bad; but he is always so good-tempered after champagne.
Rank. Ah, well, I just looked in to say that I haven't long to live. Don't weep for me, Mrs. HELMER, it's chronic—and hereditary too. Here are my P.P.C. cards. I'm a fading flower. Can you oblige me with a cigar?
Nora (with a suppressed smile). Certainly. Let me give you a light?
[RANK lights his cigar, after several ineffectual attempts, and goes out.
Helmer (compassionately). Poo' old RANK—he'sh very bad to-ni'! (Pulls himself together.) But I forgot—Bishness—I mean, bu-si-ness—mush be 'tended to. I'll go and see if there are any letters. (Goes to box.) Hallo! someone's been at the lock with a hairpin—it's one of your hairpins! [Holding it out to her.
Nora (quickly). Not mine—one of BOB's, or IVAR's—they both wear hairpins!
Helmer (turning over letters absently). You must break them of it—bad habit! What a lot o' lettersh! double usual quantity. (Opens KROGSTAD's.) By Jove! (Reads it and falls back completely sobered.) What have you got to say to this?
Nora (crying aloud.) You shan't save me—let me go! I won't be saved!
Helmer. Save you, indeed! Who's going to save Me? You miserable little criminal. (Annoyed.) Ugh—ugh!
Nora (with hardening expression). Indeed, TORVALD, your singing-bird acted for the best!
Helmer. Singing-bird! Your father was a rook—and you take after him. Heredity again! You have utterly destroyed my happiness. (Walks round several times.) Just as I was beginning to get on, too!
Nora. I have—but I will go away and jump into the water.
Helmer. What good will that do me? People will say I had a hand in this business (bitterly). If you must forge, you might at least put your dates in correctly! But you never had any principle! (A ring.) The front-door bell! (A fat letter is seen to fall into the box; HELMER takes it, opens it, sees enclosure, and embraces NORA.) KROGSTAD won't split. See, he returns the forged I.O.U.! Oh, my poor little lark, what you must have gone through! Come under my wing, my little scared song-bird.... Eh? you won't! Why, what's the matter now?
Nora (with cold calm). I have wings of my own, thank you, TORVALD, and I mean to use them!
Helmer. What—leave your pretty cage, and (pathetically) the old cock bird, and the poor little innocent eggs!
Nora. Exactly. Sit down, and we will talk it over first. (Slowly.) Has it ever struck you that this is the first time you and I have ever talked seriously together about serious things?
Helmer. Come, I do like that! How on earth could we talk about serious things when your mouth was always full of macaroons?
Nora (shakes her head). Ah, TORVALD, the mouth of a mother of a family should have more solemn things in it than macaroons! I see that now, too late. No, you have wronged me. So did Papa. Both of you called me a doll, and a squirrel, and a lark! You might have made something of me—and instead of that, you went and made too much of me—oh, you did!
Helmer. Well, you didn't seem to object to it, and really I don't exactly see what it is you do want!
Nora. No more do I—that is what I have got to find out. If I had been properly educated, I should have known better than to date poor Papa's signature three days after he died. Now I must educate myself. I have to gain experience, and get clear about religion, and law, and things, and whether Society is right or I am—and I must go away and never come back any more till I am educated!
Helmer. Then you may be away some little time? And what's to become of me and the eggs meanwhile?
Nora. That, TORVALD, is entirely your own affair. I have a higher duty than that towards you and the eggs. (Looking solemnly upward.) I mean my duty towards Myself!
Helmer. And all this because—in a momentary annoyance at finding myself in the power of a discharged Cashier who calls me "I say TORVALD," I expressed myself with ultra-Gilbertian frankness! You talk like a silly child!
Nora. Because my eyes are opened, and I see my position with the eyes of IBSEN. I must go away at once, and begin to educate myself.
Helmer. May I ask how you are going to set about it?
Nora. Certainly. I shall begin—yes, I shall begin with a course of the Norwegian theatres. If that doesn't take the frivolity out of me, I don't really know what will! [She gets her bonnet and ties it tightly.
Helmer. Then you are really going? And you'll never think about me and the eggs any more! Oh, NORA!
Nora. Indeed, I shall, occasionally—as strangers. (She puts on a shawl sadly, and fetches her dressing-bag.) If I ever do come back, the greatest miracle of all will have to happen. Good-bye! [She goes out through the hall; the front-door is heard to bang loudly.
Helmer (sinking on a chair). The room empty? Then she must be gone! Yes, my little lark has flown! (The dull sound of an unskilled latchkey is heard trying the lock; presently the door opens, and Nora, with a somewhat foolish expression, reappears.) What? back already! Then you are educated?
Nora (puts down dressing-bag). No, TORVALD, not yet. Only, you see, I found I had only threepence-halfpenny in my purse, and the Norwegian theatres are all closed at this hour—and so I thought I wouldn't leave the cage till to-morrow—after breakfast.
Helmer (as if to himself). The greatest miracle of all has happened. My little bird is not in the bush just yet!
[NORA takes down a showily bound dictionary from the shelf and begins her education; HELMER fetches a bag of macaroons, sits near her, and tenders one humbly. A pause. NORA repulses it, proudly. He offers it again. She snatches at it suddenly, still without looking at him, and nibbles it thoughtfully as Curtain falls.
THE END (with Mr. Punch's apologies to the Master).