_Helmer_. Do you remember last Christmas? For a full three weeks
beforehand you shut yourself up every evening till long after midnight,
making ornaments for the Christmas Tree and all the other fine things
that were to be a surprise to us. It was the dullest three weeks I ever
spent!

_Nora_. I didn't find it dull.

_Helmer_ (_smiling_). But there was precious little result, Nora.

_Nora_. Oh, you shouldn't tease me about that again. How could I help
the cat's going in and tearing everything to pieces?

_Helmer_. Of course you couldn't, poor little girl. You had the best of
intentions to please us all, and that's the main thing. But it is a good
thing that our hard times are over.

_Nora_. Yes, it is really wonderful.

_Helmer_. This time I needn't sit here and be dull all alone, and you
needn't ruin your dear eyes and your pretty little hands--

_Nora_ (_clapping her hands_). No, Torvald, I needn't any longer, need
I! It's wonderfully lovely to hear you say so! (_Taking his arm_.) Now I
will tell you how I have been thinking we ought to arrange things,
Torvald. As soon as Christmas is over--(_A bell rings in the hall_.)
There's the bell. (_She tidies the room a little_.) There's someone at
the door. What a nuisance!