When I had the chance of such a good place? A poor girl who’s been in trouble must take what comes. That wicked man did nothing for me. NORA. But your daughter must have forgotten you. ANNA. Oh, no, ma’am, that she hasn’t. She wrote to me both when she was confirmed and when she was married. NORA. [_Embracing her._] Dear old Anna—you were a good mother to me when I was little. ANNA. My poor little Nora had no mother but me. NORA. And if my little ones had nobody else, I’m sure you would——Nonsense, nonsense! [_Opens the box._] Go in to the children. Now I must——You’ll see how lovely I shall be to-morrow. ANNA. I’m sure there will be no one at the ball so lovely as my Miss Nora. [_She goes into the room on the left._ NORA. [_Takes the costume out of the box, but soon throws it down again._] Oh, if I dared go out. If only nobody would come. If only nothing would happen here in the meantime. Rubbish; nobody is coming. Only not to think. What a delicious muff! Beautiful gloves, beautiful gloves! To forget—to forget! One, two, three, four, five, six——[_With a scream._] Ah, there they come. [_Goes towards the door, then stands irresolute._ _MRS. LINDEN enters from the hall, where she has taken off her things._ NORA. Oh, it’s you, Christina. There’s nobody else there? I’m so glad you have come. MRS. LINDEN. I hear you called at my lodgings. NORA. Yes, I was just passing. There’s something you _must_ help me with. Let us sit here on the sofa—so. To-morrow evening there’s to be a fancy ball at Consul Stenborg’s overhead, and Torvald wants me to appear as a Neapolitan fisher-girl, and dance the tarantella; I learned it at Capri. MRS. LINDEN. I see—quite a performance. NORA. Yes, Torvald wishes it. Look, this is the costume; Torvald had it made for me in Italy. But now it’s all so torn, I don’t know—— MRS. LINDEN. Oh, we shall soon set that to rights. It’s only the trimming that has come loose here and there. Have you a needle and thread? Ah, here’s the very thing. NORA. Oh, how kind of you. MRS. LINDEN. [_Sewing._] So you’re to be in costume to-morrow, Nora? I’ll tell you what—I shall come in for a moment to see you in all your glory. But I’ve quite forgotten to thank you for the pleasant evening yesterday. NORA.