HENRIK IBSEN Sora.-Sit Hou alarm IBSEN, the most famous Norwegian poet atist, was born at Skien, Norway, in 1828. e was twenty-one he had written a number 5, and his drama "Katilina " was comring his student days. In politics he was, Le, a pronounced socialist. After directing at Bergen, he traveled on the continent 5. During this period he wrote a number s that were to give him lasting fame. he best of his plays are Nora, or, a Doll"Ghosts," "The Pillars of Society," Gabler," and "Peer Gynt." Ibsen believes Irama is a great teacher, and, while he deals easant characters of the type usually found blem plays, he always points to the remedy, shment always follows the transgressors of law. 66 NORA AWAKENED A Doll's House." Translated by William Archer) Sitting-room in TORVALD HELMER's home, n Christiania. -Why, what's this? Not gone to bed? changed your dress? not strike and I, iously? Helmer.-S sly? Fora-Du ce the da anged one Helmer.-V Tes you cou Tora.-I a ave never y tom of an Helmer.with serio Tora-The Good me. I ald: first by Helmer.ho have lov Jora [sha e. You on Yes, Torvald; now I have changed my -But why now, so late? I shall not sleep to-night. ooking at her watch].-It's not so late yet. :. [She sits at one side of the table.] Es at the other side of the table]. ne; I don't understand you. that's just it. You don't understand -e never understood you-till to-night. rupt. Only listen to what I say. We a final settlement, Torvald! ow do you mean? a short silence].-Does not one thing we sit here? hat should strike me? have been married eight years. Does ou that this is the first time we twoman and wife-have talked together eriously! Well, what do you call seri ex ng eight whole years and more-ever we first met-we have never erious word about serious things. as I always to trouble you with the d not help me to bear? 1 not talking of cares. I say that we t set ourselves seriously to get to the thing. 'hy, my dear Nora, what have you to is things? 'e we have it! You have never underave had great injustice done me, Tormy father, and then by you. 'hat! by your father and me?—by us d you more than all the world? ing her head].-You have never loved thought it amusing to be in love with I held the same opinions. If I had others ed them, because he would not have liked sed to call me his doll child, and play with played with my dolls. Then I came to ur house [undisturbed].-I mean I passed from Helmer. Tora-Ar to your taste; and I got the same tastes or I pretended to-I don't know which— s perhaps. When I look back on it now, › have been living here like a beggar, from mouth. I lived by performing tricks for ald. But you would have it so. You and ve done me a great wrong. It's your fault life has been wasted. --Why, Nora, how unreasonable and unyou are! Haven't you been happy here? No, never: I thought I was, but I never -Not-not happy? Helmer No, only merry. And you've always been › me. But our house has been nothing but om. Here I have been your doll wife, just e I used to be papa's doll child. And the n their turn have been my dolls. I thought en you played with me, just as the chilwhen I played with them. That has been iage, Torvald. But -There is some truth in what you say, exand overstrained though it be. 1 it shall be different. Play-time is over; s the time for education. Whose education? Mine, or the children's? Helmer. and your world will And you say that? I-am I fit to educate the children? Nora! In't you say yourself a few minutes ago t trust them to me? In the excitement of the moment: why well upon that? -you are perfectly right. That prob1 me. There's another to be solved first to educate myself. You are not the me in that. I must set about it alone. hy I am now leaving you. umping up].-What do you mean to nust stand quite alone to know myself oundings; so I cannot stay with you. Nora! Nora! m going at once. Christina will take -night You are mad. I shall not allow it. I = no use your forbidding me anything 1 take with me what belongs to me. will accept nothing, either now or af What madness! -morrow I shall go home. Home! nean to what was my home. It will be e to find some opening there. Oh, in your blind inexperiencemust try to gain experience, Torvald. To forsake your home, your husband, hildren! You don't consider what the ay. Helmer. -I have other duties equally sacred. -Before all else you are a wife and a That I no longer believe. I think that beelse I am a human being, just as much as -or at least I will try to become one. I t most people agree with you, Torvald, and say so in books. But henceforth I can't be with what most people say, and what is in must think things out for myself, and try car about them. -Are you not clear about your place in home? Have you not an infallible guide -ns like these? Have you not religion? -O Torvald, I don't know properly what -What do you mean? and the so I know nothing but what our clergyman Well, Torvald, it's not easy to say. I n't know-I am all at sea about these Nora.-Oh ays been Helmer not the mai |