Helmer (standing still, on his way to the letter-box).  I am a man of strict business habits, and some powers of observation; my little squirrel’s assurances that there is nothing in the box, combined with her obvious anxiety that I should not go and see for myself, satisfy me that it is indeed empty, in spite of the fact that I have not invariably found her a strictly truthful little dicky-bird.  There—­there. (Sits down to piano.) Bang away on your tambourine, little squirrel—­dance away, my own lark!

Nora (dancing, with a long gay shawl).  Just won’t the little squirrel!  Faster—­faster!  Oh, I do feel so gay!  We will have some champagne for dinner, won’t we, TORVALD? [Dances with more and more abandonment.

Helmer (after addressing frequent remarks in correction).  Come, come—­not this awful wildness!  I don’t like to see quite such a larky little lark as this ...  Really it is time you stopped!

Nora (her hair coming down as she dances more wildly still, and swings the tambourine).  I can’t ...  I can’t! (To herself, as she dances.) I’ve only thirty-one hours left to be a bird in; and after that—­(shuddering)—­after that, KROGSTAD will let the cat out of the bag! [Curtain.

N.B.—­The final Act,—­containing scenes of thrilling and realistic intensity, worked out with a masterly insight and command of psychology, the whole to conclude with a new and original denoument—­unavoidably postponed to a future number.  No money returned.

* * * * *

TAKING THE CENSUS.

(A STORY OF THE 6TH OF APRIL, 1891.)

[Illustration]

As I have but a limited holding in the Temple, and, moreover, slept on the evening of the 5th of April at Burmah Gardens, I considered it right and proper to fill in the paper left me by the “Appointed Enumerator” at the latter address.  And here I may say that the title of the subordinate officer intrusted with the addition of my household to the compilation of the Census pleased me greatly—­“Appointed Enumerator” was distinctly good.  I should have been willing (of course for an appropriate honorarium) to have accepted so well-sounding an appointment myself.  To continue, the general tone of the instructions “to the Occupier” was excellent.  Such words as “erroneous,” “specification,” and the like, appeared frequently, and must have been pleasant strangers to the householder who was authorised to employ some person other than himself to write, “if unable to do so himself.”  To be captious, I might have been better pleased had the housemaid who handed me the schedule been spared the smile provoked by finding me addressed by the “Appointed Enumerator” as “Mr. BEEFLESS,” instead of “Mr. BRIEFLESS.”  But this was a small matter.