NORA. Perhaps a little older; very, very little; certainly not much. _[Stops suddenly and speaks seriously.]_ What a thoughtless creature I am, chattering away like this. My poor, dear Christine, do forgive me. MRS LINDE. What do you mean, Nora? NORA. _[gently]_. Poor Christine, you are a widow. MRS LINDE. Yes; it is three years ago now. NORA. Yes, I knew; I saw it in the papers. I assure you, Christine, I meant ever so often to write to you at the time, but I always put it off and something always prevented me. MRS LINDE. I quite understand, dear. NORA. It was very bad of me, Christine. Poor thing, how you must have suffered. And he left you nothing? MRS LINDE. No. NORA. And no children? MRS LINDE. No. NORA. Nothing at all, then. MRS LINDE. Not even any sorrow or grief to live upon. NORA. _[looking incredulously at her]_. But, Christine, is that possible? MRS LINDE. _[smiles sadly and strokes her hair]_. It sometimes happens, Nora. NORA. So you are quite alone. How dreadfully sad that must be. I have three lovely children. You can’t see them just now, for they are out with their nurse. But now you must tell me all about it. MRS LINDE. No, no; I want to hear about you. NORA. No, you must begin. I mustn’t be selfish today; today I must only think of your affairs. But there is one thing I must tell you. Do you know we have just had a great piece of good luck? MRS LINDE. No, what is it? NORA. Just fancy, my husband has been made manager of the Bank! MRS LINDE. Your husband? What good luck! NORA. Yes, tremendous! A barrister’s profession is such an uncertain thing, especially if he won’t undertake unsavoury cases; and naturally Torvald has never been willing to do that, and I quite agree with him. You may imagine how pleased we are! He is to take up his work in the Bank at the New Year, and then he will have a big salary and lots of commissions. For the future we can live quite differently—we can do just as we like. I feel so relieved and so happy, Christine! It will be splendid to have heaps of money and not need to have any anxiety, won’t it? MRS LINDE. Yes, anyhow I think it would be delightful to have what one needs. NORA. No, not only what one needs, but heaps and heaps of money. MRS LINDE. _[smiling]_. Nora, Nora, haven’t you learned sense yet? In our schooldays you were a great spendthrift. NORA. _[laughing]_. Yes, that is what Torvald says now. _[Wags her finger at her.]_ But “Nora, Nora” is not so silly as you think. We have not been in a position for me to waste money. We have both had to work. MRS LINDE. You too?