[_Rises and walks across the room._] Oh, yesterday, it didn’t seem so pleasant as usual.—You should have come to town a little sooner, Christina.—Torvald has certainly the art of making home bright and beautiful. MRS. LINDEN. You too, I should think, or you wouldn’t be your father’s daughter. But tell me—is Doctor Rank always so depressed as he was last evening? NORA. No, yesterday it was particularly noticeable. You see, he suffers from a dreadful illness. He has spinal consumption, poor fellow. They say his father was a horrible man, who kept mistresses and all sorts of things—so the son has been sickly from his childhood, you understand. MRS. LINDEN. [_Lets her sewing fall into her lap._] Why, my darling Nora, how do you come to know such things? NORA. [_Moving about the room._] Oh, when one has three children, one sometimes has visits from women who are half—half doctors—and they talk of one thing and another. MRS. LINDEN. [_Goes on sewing; a short pause._] Does Doctor Rank come here every day? NORA. Every day of his life. He has been Torvald’s most intimate friend from boyhood, and he’s a good friend of mine too. Doctor Rank is quite one of the family. MRS. LINDEN. But tell me—is he quite sincere? I mean, isn’t he rather given to flattering people? NORA. No, quite the contrary. Why should you think so? MRS. LINDEN. When you introduced us yesterday he said he had often heard my name; but I noticed afterwards that your husband had no notion who I was. How could Doctor Rank——? NORA. He was quite right, Christina. You see, Torvald loves me so indescribably, he wants to have me all to himself, as he says. When we were first married he was almost jealous if I even mentioned any of my old friends at home; so naturally I gave up doing it. But I often talk of the old times to Doctor Rank, for he likes to hear about them. MRS. LINDEN. Listen to me, Nora! You are still a child in many ways. I am older than you, and have had more experience. I’ll tell you something. You ought to get clear of all this with Dr. Rank. NORA. Get clear of what? MRS. LINDEN. The whole affair, I should say. You were talking yesterday of a rich admirer who was to find you money—— NORA. Yes, one who never existed, worse luck. What then? MRS. LINDEN. Has Doctor Rank money? NORA. Yes, he has. MRS. LINDEN. And nobody to provide for? NORA. Nobody. But——?