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I
couldn't let my children be shabbily dressed; I have felt obliged
to use up all he gave me for them, the sweet little darlings!

Mrs. Linde. So it has all had to come out of your own necessaries
of life, poor Nora?

Nora. Of course. Besides, I was the one responsible for it. Whenever
Torvald has given me money for new dresses and such things, I have
never spent more than half of it; I have always bought the simplest
and cheapest things. Thank Heaven, any clothes look well on me,
and so Torvald has never noticed it. But it was often very hard
on me, Christine--because it is delightful to be really well
dressed, isn't it?

Mrs. Linde. Quite so.

Nora. Well, then I have found other ways of earning money. Last
winter I was lucky enough to get a lot of copying to do; so I
locked myself up and sat writing every evening until quite late
at night. Many a time I was desperately tired; but all the same
it was a tremendous pleasure to sit there working and earning
money. It was like being a man.

Mrs. Linde. How much have you been able to pay off in that way?

Nora. I can't tell you exactly. You see, it is very difficult to
keep an account of a business matter of that kind. I only know
that I have paid every penny that I could scrape together. Many a
time I was at my wits' end. (Smiles.) Then I used to sit here and
imagine that a rich old gentleman had fallen in love with me--

Mrs. Linde. What! Who was it?

Nora. Be quiet!--that he had died; and that when his will was
opened it contained, written in big letters, the instruction:
"The lovely Mrs. Nora Helmer is to have all I possess paid over
to her at once in cash."

Mrs. Linde. But, my dear Nora--who could the man be?

Nora. Good gracious, can't you understand? There was no old
gentleman at all; it was only something that I used to sit here
and imagine, when I couldn't think of any way of procuring money.
But it's all the same now; the tiresome old person can stay where
he is, as far as I am concerned; I don't care about him or his
will either, for I am free from care now. (Jumps up.) My
goodness, it's delightful to think of, Christine! Free from care!
To be able to be free from care, quite free from care; to be able
to play and romp with the children; to be able to keep the house
beautifully and have everything just as Torvald likes it! And,

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