HEL. And when we are leaving and I am putting the shawl over your beautiful young shoulders—on your lovely neck—then I imagine that you are my young bride and that we have just come from our wedding and I am bringing you, for the first time, into our home—to be alone with you for the first time—quite alone with my shy little darling! All this evening I have longed for nothing but you. When I watched the seductive figures of the tarantella my blood was on fire; I could endure it no longer, and that was why I brought you down so early——

NORA. Go away, Torvald! You must let me go. I won’t——

HEL. What’s that? You’re joking, my little Nora! You won’t—you won’t? Am I not your husband? [A knock is heard at the outer door.]

NORA [starting]. Did you hear——

HEL. [going into the hall]. Who is it?

RANK [outside]. It is I. May I come in for a moment?

HEL. [in a fretful whisper]. Oh, what does he want now? [Aloud.] Wait a minute. [Unlocks the door.] Come, that’s kind of you not to pass by our door.

RANK. I thought I heard your voice, and I felt as if I should like to look in. [With a swift glance round.] Ah yes!—these dear familiar rooms. You are very happy and cosy in here, you two.

HEL. It seems to me that you looked after yourself pretty well upstairs too.

RANK. Excellently. Why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t one enjoy everything in this world?—at any rate as much as one can and as long as one can. The wine was capital——

HEL. Especially the champagne.

RANK. So you noticed that too? It is almost incredible how much I managed to put away!

NORA. Torvald drank a great deal of champagne tonight too.

RANK. Did he?

NORA. Yes, and he is always in such good spirits afterward.

RANK. Well, why should one not enjoy a merry evening after a well-spent day?

HEL. Well-spent? I am afraid I can’t take credit for that.

RANK [clapping him on the back]. But I can, you know!

HEL. Exactly.

NORA. Doctor Rank, you must have been occupied with some scientific investigation today.

HEL. Just listen!—little Nora talking about scientific investigations!

NORA. And may I congratulate you on the result?

RANK. Indeed you may.

NORA. Was it favorable, then?