[There is a ring at the front door.]
HELMER [collecting himself]: What's that- at this hour? Can the worst have - Could he...? Keep out of sight, Nora - say that you're ill.
[NORA remains motionless. HELMER goes and opens the hall door.]
MAID [at the door, half- dressed]: There's a letter for the Mistress.
HELMER: Give it to me. [He takes the letter and shuts the door] Yes, its from him. You're not to have it - I shall read myself.
NORA: Yes, read it.
HELMER: [by the lamp]: I hardly dare - it may mean ruin for both of us. I must know! [Tearing open the letter, he runs his eye over a few lines, looks at a paper that is enclosed, then gives a shout of joy.] Nora!
[She looks at him inquiringly.]
Nora! Wait, I must just read it again.... Yes, it's true; I'm saved! Nora, I'm saved!
NORA: And I?
HELMER: You too, of course. We're both saved - both you and I-
[NORA stands up]
NORA: [quietly] You don't have to say anything more...
HELMER: What are you talking about my little skylark?
NORA: [collects herself, eerily smiles and laughs] ... Did you not hear yourself [in a mocking tone] "I'm saved! Nora, I'm saved!-
[HELMER comes closer to Nora, red with rage.]
HELMER: How dare you speak to me that way you incompetent squirrel, you know not what you say. I am your husband... the man of this house, you listen to what I say when I say it. You are my beautiful, loyal skylark.
NORA: [under her breath] I have staved this words for too long... [sarcastically] Me, oh yes my Gander, I shall listen to all you have to honk at me,
HELMER: [infuriated, stomps as loudly as he can] Gander... Gander?[clears his throat with great force] You dare insult your lover-[hiccups] I have given you everything [hiccups] this house [hiccups] this family?[hiccups]
NORA: [laughs] Why yes, thank you for this lovely nest
[NURSE and CHILDREN enters from the right door] why look our goslings have arrived.
HELMER: [returns to normal skin tone with eyes opened with shock. Utters hoarsely] Gosling?
NURSE; [Panting] No young ones, you mustn't disturb your parents...
CHILDREN: [frieghtened, out of breath] Mommy! Mommy! We hear thunder!
NORA;[kneels down to the CHILDREN] No my dearest children, that was no thunder. [Looks at HELMER]
HELMER: [raises his voice] Children, don't listen to your mother get away from her.
CHILDREN: Mommy here it comes again, the thunder.
NORA: [Looks at HELMER then to the CHILDREN] Hush my darlings [Stands up] Nurse bring the children back to their bedrooms. Now children run along.
[CHILDREN and NURSE exits from the right door]
HELMER; [vexed] Are satisfied my songbird, not only have you ruined the children, but you have disgraced my honor in my house. Just come to think I was going to forgive you. No more, everything I have said to you before does not compare to what I have in stored for you-
[NORA walks unperturbed to the door on the left, shuts the door] you timid squirrel, I was not finished! [stands in front of the door] I will wait for you like a dog to a cat stuck in a tree.
[Door opens, Nora has her day clothes on with a suitcases with clothes sticking out from the edges in one hand and a letter in another] I am like a cat chasing a mouse waiting in front of the mouse hole.
[Nora walks pass him towards the hall door]
NORA; The goslings are terrified of thunder... [Drops the letter. Opens the hall door, walks out, slams it]
HElMER: Nora! [stumbles to the hall door] Nora. [Picks up the letter. reads it] Nora?
[CHILDREN rush in from the right door wailing, surrounding Helmer] Nora...
NURSE: [panting] Where is Nora, the children are looking all over for their mother.
HELMER; Children settle down go to your rooms... [composes himself] Now!
[CHILDREN stop crying, looks up at Helmer and walks towards the right door]
NURSE: Excuse but where is Nora?
HELMER: She's flown away.
[Curtains fall]
[HELMER comes closer to Nora, red with rage.]
HELMER: How dare you speak to me that way you incompetent squirrel, you know not what you say. I am your husband... the man of this house, you listen to what I say when I say it. You are my beautiful, loyal skylark.
NORA: [under her breath] I have staved this words for too long... [sarcastically] Me, oh yes my Gander, I shall listen to all you have to honk at me,
HELMER: [infuriated, stomps as loudly as he can] Gander... Gander?[clears his throat with great force] You dare insult your lover-[hiccups] I have given you everything [hiccups] this house [hiccups] this family?[hiccups]
NORA: [laughs] Why yes, thank you for this lovely nest
[NURSE and CHILDREN enters from the right door] why look our goslings have arrived.
HELMER: [returns to normal skin tone with eyes opened with shock. Utters hoarsely] Gosling?
NURSE; [Panting] No young ones, you mustn't disturb your parents...
CHILDREN: [frieghtened, out of breath] Mommy! Mommy! We hear thunder!
NORA;[kneels down to the CHILDREN] No my dearest children, that was no thunder. [Looks at HELMER]
HELMER: [raises his voice] Children, don't listen to your mother get away from her.
CHILDREN: Mommy here it comes again, the thunder.
NORA: [Looks at HELMER then to the CHILDREN] Hush my darlings [Stands up] Nurse bring the children back to their bedrooms. Now children run along.
[CHILDREN and NURSE exits from the right door]
HELMER; [vexed] Are satisfied my songbird, not only have you ruined the children, but you have disgraced my honor in my house. Just come to think I was going to forgive you. No more, everything I have said to you before does not compare to what I have in stored for you-
[NORA walks unperturbed to the door on the left, shuts the door] you timid squirrel, I was not finished! [stands in front of the door] I will wait for you like a dog to a cat stuck in a tree.
[Door opens, Nora has her day clothes on with a suitcases with clothes sticking out from the edges in one hand and a letter in another] I am like a cat chasing a mouse waiting in front of the mouse hole.
[Nora walks pass him towards the hall door]
NORA; The goslings are terrified of thunder... [Drops the letter. Opens the hall door, walks out, slams it]
HElMER: Nora! [stumbles to the hall door] Nora. [Picks up the letter. reads it] Nora?
[CHILDREN rush in from the right door wailing, surrounding Helmer] Nora...
NURSE: [panting] Where is Nora, the children are looking all over for their mother.
HELMER; Children settle down go to your rooms... [composes himself] Now!
[CHILDREN stop crying, looks up at Helmer and walks towards the right door]
NURSE: Excuse but where is Nora?
HELMER: She's flown away.
[Curtains fall]
Nora's comfortable interaction with her children seemed out of place since she does not spend much time with them, but interesting metaphors using bird terms... I guess you took the nickname "songbird" Torvald gave her pretty literally, huh.
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