_Nora_ (_walking up and down_). A man can put a thing like that straight
much easier than a woman--

_Mrs. Linde_. One's husband, yes.

_Nora_. Nonsense! (_Standing still_.) When you pay off a debt you get
your bond back, don't you?

_Mrs. Linde_. Yes, as a matter of course.

_Nora_. And can tear it into a hundred thousand pieces, and burn it
up--the nasty, dirty paper!

_Mrs. Linde_ (_looks hard at her, lays down her sewing and gets up
slowly_). Nora, you are concealing something from me.

_Nora_. Do I look as if I were?

_Mrs. Linde_. Something has happened to you since yesterday morning.
Nora, what is it?

_Nora_ (_going nearer to her_). Christine! (_Listens_.) Hush! there's
Torvald come home. Do you mind going in to the children for the present?
Torvald can't bear to see dressmaking going on. Let Anne help you.

_Mrs. Linde_ (_gathering some of the things together_). Certainly--but I
am not going away from here till we have had it out with one another.
(_She goes into the room, on the left, as Helmer comes in from, the
hall_.)