_Nora_ (_begins dressing the tree_). A candle here--and flowers here--. The horrible man! It's all nonsense--there's nothing wrong. The Tree shall be splendid! I will do everything I can think of to please you, Torvald!--I will sing for you, dance for you--(HELMER _comes in with some papers under his arm_.) Oh! are you back already? _Helmer_. Yes. Has anyone been here? _Nora_. Here? No. _Helmer_. That is strange. I saw Krogstad going out of the gate. _Nora_. Did you? Oh yes, I forgot Krogstad was here for a moment. _Helmer_. Nora, I can see from your manner that he has been here begging you to say a good word for him. _Nora_. Yes. _Helmer_. And you were to appear to do it of your own accord; you were to conceal from me the fact of his having been here; didn't he beg that of you too? _Nora_. Yes, Torvald, but-- _Helmer_. Nora, Nora, and you would be a party to that sort of thing? To have any talk with a man like that, and give him any sort of promise? And to tell me a lie into the bargain? _Nora_. A lie--? _Helmer_. Didn't you tell me no one had been here? (_Shakes his finger at her_.) My little song-bird must never do that again. A song-bird must have a clean beak to chirp with--no false notes! (_Puts his arm round her waist._) That is so, isn't it? Yes, I am sure it is. (_Lets her go_.) We will say no more about it. (_Sits down by the stove_.) How warm and snug it is here! (_Turns over his papers_.) _Nora_ (_after a short pause, during which she busies herself with the Christmas Tree_). Torvald! _Helmer_. Yes. _Nora_: I am looking forward tremendously to the fancy dress ball at the Stensborgs' the day after tomorrow. _Helmer_. And I am tremendously curious to see what you are going to surprise me with. _Nora_. It was very silly of me to want to do that. _Helmer_. What do you mean? _Nora_. I can't hit upon anything that will do; everything I think of seems so silly and insignificant. _Helmer_. Does my little Nora acknowledge that at last? _Nora_ (_standing behind his chair with her arms on the back of it_). Are you very busy, Torvald? _Helmer_. Well-- _Nora_. What are all those papers? _Helmer_. Bank business. _Nora_. Already? _Helmer_. I have got authority from the retiring manager to undertake the necessary changes in the staff and in the rearrangement of the work; and I must make use of the Christmas week for that, so as to have everything in order for the new year. _Nora_. Then that was why this poor Krogstad-- _Helmer_. Hm! _Nora_ (_leans against the back of his chair and strokes his hair_). If you hadn't been so busy I should have asked you a tremendously big favour, Torvald. _Helmer_. What is that? Tell me. _Nora_. There is no one has such good taste as you. And I do so want to look nice at the fancy-dress ball. Torvald, couldn't you take me in hand and decide what I shall go as, and what sort of a dress I shall wear?