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

Helmer.  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—?

Helmer (going into the hall).  Who is it?

Rank (outside).  It is I. May I come in for a moment?

Helmer (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 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.

Helmer.  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—­

Helmer.  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 afterwards.

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

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

Rank (clapping him on the back).  But I can, you know!

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

Rank.  Exactly.

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

Nora.  And may I congratulate you on the result?

Rank.  Indeed you may.

Nora.  Was it favourable, then.

Rank.  The best possible, for both doctor and patient—­certainty.

Nora (quickly and searchingly).  Certainty?

Rank.  Absolute certainty.  So wasn’t I entitled to make a merry evening of it after that?

Nora.  Yes, you certainly were, Doctor Rank.

Helmer.  I think so too, so long as you don’t have to pay for it in the morning.

Rank.  Oh well, one can’t have anything in this life without paying for it.

Nora.  Doctor Rank—­are you fond of fancy-dress balls?

Rank.  Yes, if there is a fine lot of pretty costumes.

Nora.  Tell me—­what shall we two wear at the next?

Helmer.  Little featherbrain!—­are you thinking of the next already?

Rank.  We two?  Yes, I can tell you.  You shall go as a good fairy—­