_Mrs. Linde_. I see; you are going to keep up the character.

_Nora_. Yes, Torvald wants me to. Look, here is the dress; Torvald had
it made for me there, but now it is all so torn, and I haven't any
idea--

_Mrs. Linde_. We will easily put that right. It is only some of the
trimming come unsewn here and there. Needle and thread? Now then, that's
all we want.

_Nora_. It _is_ nice of you.

_Mrs. Linde_ (_sewing_). So you are going to be dressed up tomorrow,
Nora. I will tell you what--I shall come in for a moment and see you in
your fine feathers. But I have completely forgotten to thank you for a
delightful evening yesterday.

_Nora_ (_gets up, and crosses the stage_). Well I don't think yesterday
was as pleasant as usual. You ought to have come to town a little
earlier, Christine. Certainly Torvald does understand how to make a
house dainty and attractive.

_Mrs. Linde_. And so do you, it seems to me; you are not your father's
daughter for nothing. But tell me, is Doctor Rank always as depressed as
he was yesterday?

_Nora_. No; yesterday it was very noticeable. I must tell you that he
suffers from a _very_ dangerous disease. He has consumption of the
spine, poor creature. His father was a horrible man who committed all