Page:The collected works of Henrik Ibsen (Volume 7).djvu/50

 Mrs. Linden.

You too?

Nora.

Yes, light fancy work: crochet, and embroidery, and things of that sort; [Carelessly] and other work too. You know, of course, that Torvald left the Government service when we were married. He had little chance of promotion, and of course he required to make more money. But in the first year after our marriage he overworked himself terribly. He had to undertake all sorts of extra work, you know, and to slave early and late. He couldn't stand it, and fell dangerously ill. Then the doctors declared he must go to the South.

Mrs. Linden.

You spent a whole year in Italy, didn't you?

Nora.

Yes, we did. It wasn't easy to manage, I can tell you. It was just after Ivar's birth. But of course we had to go. Oh, it was a wonderful, delicious journey! And it saved Torvald's life. But it cost a frightful lot of money, Christina.

Mrs. Linden.

So I should think.

Nora.

Twelve hundred dollars! Four thousand eight hundred crowns![1] Isn't that a lot of money?

Mrs. Linden.

How lucky you had the money to spend!

1 The dollar (4s. 6d.) was the old unit of currency in Norway. The crown was substituted for it shortly before the date of this play.