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HOW QUASIMODO SAW THE LIGHT
by Sonja

Chapter 3
Yvette spent the next days hiding in the Court of Miracles, and Quasimodo left her only when it was time to ring the bells. Clopin had urged the vagabonds to keep guard over the hideout even more carefully than before, although he never talked about the lovers' elopement. Yvette and Quasimodo continued spending nights separately, but one evening, about ten days after they had arrived, the bellringer knocked shyly at the door of Yvette's dwelling. The girl flushed when he stepped in and closed the door, and she backed out of him in embarrassment.
"Yvette, my dear, are you afraid?" Quasimodo asked tenderly.
"Of course not, little Quasi," smiled Yvette. Then, suddenly, she remembered something, approached her beloved, took his face between her hands and grimaced at him.
The young man was startled. "Please, don't do that! Of course I believe you are not scared of looking at me." Yvette squeezed him and began to repeat his name in a tender voice: "Quasimodo, little Quasimodo...But what's the reason for you to come here?"
Now the bellringer was embarrassed in turn. "Well, I was thinking that perhaps we could..." He smiled warmly at the girl and put his arms round her.
"Quasimodo!" Yvette was so surprised that she couldn't say anything else for a while. Finally
she noted: "I'm almost proud that you propose to something like that, but how much do you know about those things? I suppose HE didn't tell you!"
"Oh, no, he only said I was 'a poor misshapen child'," replied Quasimodo. Yvette embraced him, upset. "But Phoebus and some Gypsy men have told me." He started to smooth down Yvette's hair. "May I stay here for the night?"
"But think about if I begin to expect a baby- after all, we are not married yet," Yvette remarked a bit restlessly.
Quasimodo squeezed her. "Certainly we would take care of the little one together," he promised.
Yvette was still restless. "Did anyone see you come here?" she asked, looking hard at the
young man.
"Dear Yvette, I assure you I didn't tell anyone," said Quasimodo seriously.
Then he took his sweetheart in his arms and carried her to the bed. Yvette pressed her face to his cheek and continued babbling: "Little bellringer...Quasimodo, Quasimodo!"
As he caressed the girl a bit shyly, the young man asked whispering: "Is it absolutely sure you agree to this?" Yvette hesitated for a moment. She understood that if her parents found out she was willing to spend nights with Quasimodo before wedding, they never more would trust her. On the other hand she was sure that if she said no to her beloved she would herself be even more disappointed than he - for of course Quasimodo would always treat her tenderly and tactfully and respect her own will.
"Yes," she said slowly. "I know this is not quite right, but I also trust you and know this will remain our secret."

Indeed, no one among the vagabonds seemed to know what had happened between the lovers. In any case, although it was clear that Yvette and Quasimodo wouldn't stay in the Court of Miracles for the rest of their lives, the Gypsies were enthusiastic to advise them to familiarize with their ways of life. In fact Yvette herself found it extremely important, for she was deeply affected with the Gypsies and wanted Quasimodo to forget totally the hatred towards them that he had learned from Frollo.
Quasimodo agreed with his sweetheart, but he noticed soon that some of the Gypsy customs were difficult for him to learn. First, the vagabond community controlled strictly all of its members; actually, this was rather familiar to Yvette, but Quasimodo was used to spending time alone - in fact, as Esmeralda once had noted, he had been quite lucky to have so much privacy. Another thing was the strict modesty of the Gypsies.They had a rule for lovers to avoid showing affection to each other in the elders' presence, and especially Quasimodo rebelled against that because of his loveless upbringing. "After all, I don't find myself a Gypsy," he once snabbed at Yvette. "You are more important to me than any community!"
"My dear Quasi," replied Yvette, gently and seriously, "I am happy to be so deeply loved, but you must understand: if the Gypsies don't accept you among them, you will remain an outcast for all your life, and that would be the same as to give in to Frollo after his death! Besides, one day you and me are going to have children, and they need a community to take care of them."
Quasimodo deliberated her words. "You are right, my dear," he admitted at last, "the worst mistake I could make would be to keep apart from other people once again. But I know - we can live both here and in the city, for in any case you are an heiress, and then it would be much easier to follow the Gypsy customs, as we would have our private life, too!"
Yvette was abated. "There's a solution for us! Then you don't have to leave the bells either!"

Of course, Yvette's parents were enormously worried about her disappearance. Particularly her father was also very angry. "What on earth will we say to her future husband? Will nothing make her behave properly?" he vexed himself. "I know this is all the Gypsies' fault!"
His wife had thought a lot about Yvette and Quasimodo. She understood that Yvette had been right when defending the bellringer against their abusement, for they had, indeed, taught her that one had to be friendly towards all kinds of people. Because of that she now said to her husband: "I have started to feel like we have made a mistake when not taking Yvette's love towards the bellringer seriously. After all, we don't have any idea of what Quasimodo is like by nature, and it's clear that he deeply loves and respects our daughter - else he wouldn't have wooed her from us. Besides, I am ashamed of calling him only 'that man' and 'hunchback',
for that was against all that Yvette has learned since she was small."
"You can't be serious!" exclaimed the bourgeois man, stupefied. "If we allowed that worthless marriage, no one would ever want to have anything to do with our family, and we would be obliged to familiarize with miserable vagabonds! And worst of all: you said yourself that Yvette could have children that looked like that man!"
"After all, I have seen much uglier people than Quasimodo," noted his wife. "We can't know
whether he has hump-backed relatives or not."
"In any case, I have promised our daughter to the wealthy bourgeois man, and I will keep my word, no matter what silly thoughts you have!" The father wasn't going to give in.

A few days after the couple's discussion, the residents of the Court of Miracles were awakened by a loud shout of warning. They all rushed out of their dwellings and noticed soon that four strangers were approaching the hideout. Yvette turned pale when recognizing two
of the trespassers: they were her parents! They were accompanied by an aged man whom Yvette supposed to be the suitor chosen for her, and one of the guards led by Phoebus. Yvette grasped Quasimodo's hand and whispered: "Now you must have enough courage to defend your rights to me!" Then she stepped up to Clopin. "Please, help us," she asked, "you have to tell them that it's dangerous to intrude here!"
Clopin grimaced. Then he gave a signal to some of his comrades, who caught the uninvited guests. "What have we here?" asked the Gypsy leader in his funny way, when those four were dragged in front of him.
It must be easy to imagine how embarrassed the three bourgeois were when seeing all these curious and aggressive vagabonds round them. They were not used to Gypsies grimacing at them or tapping them on shoulders. Finally, Yvette's father addressed Clopin.
"Our daughter Yvette disappeared more than two weeks ago. Because she has befriended your people we suppose her to be here. However, we have arranged her a marriage and want to take her home again to be engaged to this man." He pointed at the other bourgeois.
Clopin got a little confused, for he hadn't known about Yvette's other suitor. But then he turned to look at the soldier. "Before I reply to you I would like to know how you succeeded to find our hideout!" he noted more seriously than ever.
Now the guard spoke for the first time. "I was one of those whom Minister Frollo led here some months ago. This bourgeois man is a friend of mine, and I promised to help him to find his future wife. You may believe it was hard to find here again; actually it took several days!"
The vagabonds booed loudly and threatened him.
One aged woman asked Clopin: "Wouldn't it be best if that man never got out of here?"
Yvette quivered and glanced at Quasimodo, for she knew that there was only one way for the trespassers to die. The bellringer put his arm round the girl, but he looked so angry that Yvette guessed him to be thinking about the horrible moment when Frollo's troop had attacked the Court. Now they heard Clopin reply to the woman: "You are quite right, but first we must solve this problem with the three others!"
The Gypsies grasped the soldier and dragged him away. Before Clopin started to speak again, Yvette bravely stepped in front of her parents, although she was very restless.
"My daughter! We have been enormously worried about you!" exclaimed her father. "How on earth could you do such a thing to us?"
"Dear father," replied Yvette as peacefully as she could, "it is simply impossible for me to keep apart from my beloved. Besides, before I eloped I had a discussion with the archdecon of Notre Dame, and he promised to help me and Quasimodo. We are already regarded as husband and wife by the Gypsies."
"I guessed this was their fault!" snabbed her father. "In any case, this is your future husband, and now we are going to leave this place forever!" He tried to grasp his daughter's arm, but then Quasimodo hurried to her and put his arms round her again. Clopin, in turn, announced in a warning voice: "You three are not going anywhere until you have seen the fate of your spy!" He stepped to the lovers. "Yvette has chosen us, and we are ready to protect both her and the bellringer, aren't we, comrades?"
"Definitely!" shouted the whole group of vagabonds. Quasimodo smiled gratefully at the Gypsy leader, and Yvette's mother addressed her husband: "Like I had thought, it's clear that those two really love each other, and to be honest, I would be ready to agree to their wishes." Of course, she couldn't bear to think about losing her daughter forever.
Yvette's other suitor looked disdainfully at Quasimodo. "I know you, bellringer," he noted, "and I am not going to let you have the girl who has been promised to me."
The whole group of vagabonds was surprised when Quasimodo replied far from shyly: "Yvette loves me, and I know she could never be happy if we were separated."
"She and her dowry have been promised to me," repeated the merchant.
Now Yvette couldn't keep quiet any longer. "So, you are interested only in my family and our property?" she asked coldly. "I assure you I wouldn't care for anyone who doesn't think about myself a moment. Quasimodo loves me, and he is the man with whom I want to live my life."
Suddenly she also remembered that she was no longer untouched. Of course, she wasn't going to talk about it to that stranger, but she was sure that if her parents found out the truth, they would let her marry Quasimodo, angry and disappointed as they would be. Yvette stepped to the bellringer, gave her hand to him and whispered: "In fact it's good that we already have slept together a few times!" Quasi whispered back: "I don't have courage to tell it openly."
"Of course not! Don't you remember it's forbidden to explain such things to everyone?" dazzled Yvette. "But if we get a chance to that we could tell my parents."
At the very moment Clopin gave a signal to three vagabonds who dragged the guard in front of him again. Then the whole community grouped itself round them. Yvette was going to draw Quasimodo in the circle as well, but her father grasped her hand and said more determinedly than ever: "We will leave immediately!"
Yvette tried to keep calm although her heart was beating loudly. "Father, you will never see me again unless you are not ready to see the truth about Quasimodo," she assured.
"Yvette, this is not a suitable place for a decent young woman like yourself," her father tried to explain.
Now Yvette got the chance she had been waiting for. "Dear father, I don't know if I can be called so decent any more," she said honestly. "Namely, something has already happened between Quasi and me...but I won't let you accuse him because we both knew what we wanted."
Fortunately, the Gypsies couldn't hear her words. Quasimodo flushed, but then he took his sweetheart in his arms and embraced her tenderly.
Yvette's parents were stupefied. "This is incredible!" exclaimed her father, and her mother added: "I would never have expected anything like this!"
Before the lovers had time to answer, all four heard Clopin address the soldier: "Unfortunately, I have to announce to you that we are unanimous of your fate, trespasser. You will be...HANGED!"
Yvette began to shudder. How could it be possible that her dear friend quite seriously planned such a horrible thing? Quasimodo noticed how shocked she was and whispered: "Didn't I tell you!"
Yvette rushed to the Gypsy leader. "No, Clopin, you can't do that! I never could let anyone die because of me!"
Clopin patted her. "My warm-hearted girlie, it's not just you who is in question, but every one
of us. Don't forget that this man has been a stooge of our worst persecutor, and none of us will be completely safe as long as a single one of them is alive. But if it was someone else, we could possibly let him go."
Quasimodo motioned Yvett to come to him. "Do you remember what I told you about Frollo's attack? I get really furious every time when thinking about that moment, although most of those men are already dead. In my opinion, this soldier will get the right punishment, although it sounds cruel."
At the very moment, Djali rushed to the entrance, and Esmeralda exclaimed: "Phoebus!" Indeed, the captain had arrived - at the last minute, because the vagabonds were already putting the hanging rope around the spy's neck.
Phoebus didn't know what to think, but then, suddenly, he shouted so loudly that many of the vagabonds were extremely frightened, and some of the children began to cry. Even Esmeralda was surprised at the behaviour of her beloved, and Clopin asked impatiently: "Captain Phoebus, how is it possible that you come here without warning and frighten us all?"
Had it been another situation, Phoebus would never have yelled that way. Actually, he had come to meet Esmeralda, but now it wasn't a suitable moment to talk about that. He asked as peacefully as possible: "Why on earth are you going to hang one of my soldiers?"
Esmeralda stepped to him and explained to him the whole situation. Phoebus was irresolute. If he didn't do anything to prevent the death, he would allow a serious crime. On the other hand, if he told the holders of power of the city about the hanging he would betray his beloved Esmeralda and all her friends. Besides, Frollo had been the Minister of Justice and the commander of the guards, and despite of that Phoebus hadn't done anything to prevent his death. Should he now let the punishment happen?
"My friends," said he at last, "I know it is very regrettable that this guard has led these bourgeois to your hideout, especially because he formerly served Frollo. However, I advise you to spare his life, because if he now died and the holders of power found out that you were responsible for that, I am absolutely sure they would start harassing you and imprison you as soon as they got here."
Many of the vagabonds were bound to admit that the captain spoke wisely. But the others were still suspicious. "How could we trust that man so that he wouldn't lead all kinds of persecutors here?" they deliberated. Clopin explained to Phoebus: "In the city there are still plenty of people who don't accept Gypsies, and although Yvette has chosen us voluntarily, we know that they could accuse us of stealing a bourgeois girl. That is one reason for us to protect ourselves against spies."
"Clopin," remarked Yvette in turn, "I think it is possible that if the soldier may live he will be so grateful to all of you that he won't inform against you."
Clopin looked at her for a long while. Then he continued negotiating with his comrades. Quasimodo embraced his sweetheart and whispered: "You are very clever!"
A little later they heard an aged Gypsy woman say: "The girl is right - if Quasimodo or Phoebus were in question, they surely were too grateful to inform against us. We'd better ask the prisoner straight!" Then she raised her voice to address the sentenced man: "If we let you live, are you ready to promise that you neither will lead here any of our enemies, nor tell anyone in the city that we wanted to hang you at first?"
The sentenced guard had already thought to have lost all hope, but during the negotiation he had started to think he still could have a chance. However, when he heard the terms he thought: "These people live outside the society, and if they are continually allowed to defy the Law, they will soon become a threat to all honourable citizens!" That was why he replied: "No, I can't promise to keep your intentions secret."
Suddenly Clopin looked severe. "In that case you will indeed be hanged," declared he. "We don't allow Frollo's soldiers in the Court of Miracles."
Now Quasimodo hurried to Phoebus and asked: "Please, don't ever let anyone know what you have seen here! We must protect our friends!"
Finally Phoebus answered, hard as it was: "I agree, but only because of Esmeralda."
Yvette had never before seen anyone hanged, and she was deeply upset to see the death-struggle of the guard. Esmeralda and Quasimodo, who stood next to her, did their best to comfort her. "I promise you will never more need to see anything like this," whispered the bellringer, "but now you know that the speech of hanging the intruders is not only joking."
It must be easy to imagine how shocked Yvette's parents and suitor were when seeing the punishment. "My daughter, you really must come with us, you really can't live among these people who don't even respect the Law!" the father exclaimed as soon as he was able to speak. "Your father is right," added the mother.
"You don't need to worry - we are not going to live here the rest of our lives," assured Yvette. "When we are married, we will live in the city, very near Notre Dame and your house, and here - because the Gypsies are Quasi's community. Besides, they need friends like me who have a good status in society and who can prove to the majority that they need not to be feared."
Her mother was bound to smile at her determination. Before she had time to answer, Clopin stepped to them and said: "Now you'd better leave this place. Hopefully you have learned something!" When saying that he grimaced mischievously for the first time after the "lawsuit".
Yvette said seriously: "Indeed, dear father and mother, I also hope you won't come back here, because the last thing I wish is to see YOU hanged! But I promise you will see me soon."
Her suitor tried still to resist, but then a few Gypsies grasped all three and led them determinedly to the entrance.
After they had left, Clopin said cheerfully to Yvette: "Well, girlie, now you are one of us!" The lovers dazzled. "We could never have had each other without all of you," noted Quasimodo.

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