The cello is Nora's voice when it has the melody. The cello's melody is in A minor, which is an expressive, significantly darker key than Helmer's C major. This reveals Nora's emotional conflict. On one hand, Nora does not want Helmer to read Krogstand's letter, because she fears that it will ruin their future. On the other hand, she wants Helmer to know the truth. The cello moves into a higher register, representing Nora's female voice as well as her anxiety. The melody in the cello is a variation on the trombone's melody. This shows that, although Nora disagrees with Helmer and is refusing "to stay with" him, she does not defy him directly and uses the excuse of a "dying friend" to refuse him (1605). Helmer's voice re-enters in Bar 10 once again changing from C major to G. Nora follows in the major, but ends her phrase with an E minor chord in Bar 15, showing her complex emotional state.