Nora.  Good Heavens, no!  How could you think so?  A man who has such strong opinions about these things!  And besides, how painful and humiliating it would be for Torvald, with his manly independence, to know that he owed me anything!  It would upset our mutual relations altogether; our beautiful happy home would no longer be what it is now.

Mrs. Linde.  Do you mean never to tell him about it?

Nora (meditatively, and with a half smile.) Yes—­some day, perhaps, after many years, when I am no longer as nice-looking as I am now.  Don’t laugh at me!  I mean, of course, when Torvald is no longer as devoted to me as he is now; when my dancing and dressing-up and reciting have palled on him; then it may be a good thing to have something in reserve—­(Breaking off,) What nonsense!  That time will never come.  Now, what do you think of my great secret, Christine?  Do you still think I am of no use?  I can tell you, too, that this affair has caused me a lot of worry.  It has been by no means easy for me to meet my engagements punctually.  I may tell you that there is something that is called, in business, quarterly interest, and another thing called payment in instalments, and it is always so dreadfully difficult to manage them.  I have had to save a little here and there, where I could, you understand.  I have not been able to put aside much from my housekeeping money, for Torvald must have a good table.  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—­