| The Two Rivals By Sonja Chapter 5 The vagabonds were thunderstruck to see Quasimodo, Ad�le and Christine step out of their dwelling on good terms. They didn�t answer curious questions but left the Court at once and returned to the city. The celebrating couples were dancing and singing in the Cathedral square, but Madellaine was standing beside the church wall in embarrassment. Christine ran to her, and she took her in her arms, but when she saw Ad�le she got angry. "Can�t you leave Quasi and me alone?" Ad�le glanced at the bellringer; she wanted to reveal Madellaine the truth. Quasimodo shook his head. He knew an inexperienced girl like Madellaine would be heartbroken if her beloved told her he didn�t actually love her. Besides, he had more important things to tell her. "Madellaine, we came to tell you about my past," he said, "not about our romance, but my childhood and upbringing. I was raised by Judge Frollo, the Minister of Justice, who was a very cruel man. He hated and persecuted the Gypsies, and that was why they had to hide in the Court of Miracles." "How did he come to raise you?" asked Madellaine. "Is there Gypsy blood in you?" "Yes, my mother was a Gypsy, and Frollo was responsible for her death," told the young man. "That�s horrible!" exclaimed Madellaine. Christine reached her hands towards Quasi, and he took her in his arms. "Frollo kept me in the north tower for twenty years," he continued, "he never let me go to the city, for he said I was so ugly I would never be accepted out there." "Good Lord!" Madellaine was shocked. "That reminds me of how Sarousch said that it�s a cold world out there!" "But Frollo continually said to Quasi he was deformed and claimed that the townspeople would call him a monster if they saw him," explained Ad�le, agitated. "Daddy is not a monster!" Christine shouted so loudly that the people nearest them turned to look at her. Quasimodo embraced and patted her. "Of course not, my dear, it was just Frollo who said that." "What happened to your guardian?" Madellaine asked. "Why do you still live in the belltower?" "It�s a long story - but he died seven years ago. There was a fire in the city, and the soldiers were harassing the Gypsies. I gave Esmeralda and Phoebus a sanctuary in the Cathedral, amd Ad�le came to meet me there." Madellaine glanced at Ad�le. She continued: "That evening, Frollo said to Quasi he was going to attack the Court of Miracles, and he and Phoebus hastened to warn us. But Frollo followed them and imprisoned us all. The next day, Frollo was going to get Esmeralda burned on a pyre, but Quasi rescued her, so the soldiers attacked the Cathedral. Frollo died at the attack." "Why did he want to burn Esmeralda?" asked Christine, "can people be burnt that way?" "Yes, dear, sometimes people really are burned." Quasimodo hugged her. "Frollo thought Esmeralda was a witch because she is a Gypsy and so beautiful." "Absolutely horrible!" exclaimed Madellaine. "I just don�t understand how a cruel man like him was able to raise someone as lovable as you, Quasi." "Once I had a real family," said the bellringer, "Ad�le�s mother Charlotte took me into her care, and later when she married Clopin Ad�le became a sister for me� But after only a couple of months, they were forced to give me back to Frollo." "A sister?" Madellaine looked hard at Ad�le, deliberating the young man�s words. Then she glanced at Christine. She thought: She is hump-backed because she is the result of an affair between siblings - and Ad�le doesn�t have any right to Quasimodo! However, she hid her thoughts and said: "Now it�s much easier for me to understand you, Quasi." "Do you think you really would like to join our community?" asked the bellringer. "We can take you to the Court of Miracles tonight, but you may stay there only if the elderly Gypsies agree to that." "At least, I will never return to the circus company," Madellaine said determinedly. The townspeople observed Quasimodo and the two women in surprise. Ad�le had lived together with the bellringer for several years, and they still worked in the workshop. They had lost their child three years before, and now, the circus assistant had brought her back. Earlier that day, it had seemed like Quasimodo was in love with that girl - but now, those four were spending time together! The people got even more amazed when the bellringer, Christine and the women left the square and walked towards the graveyard. At the entrance of the hideout, Clopin looked hard at Madellaine. He said to Quasimodo: "It was inconsiderate of you to bring her here." "Clopin, Madellaine has decided she won�t return to the circus even if Sarousch is released," the young man explained, "she would like to join our community." "Hmm�Did you promise her you would take care of her? What did Ad�le say about that?" Madellaine encouraged herself. "Monsieur, I didn�t come here to ask anyone to take care of me. At the circus, I always wanted to have a performance of my own, but Sarousch didn�t agree to that. Esmeralda is a dancer, and maybe I could also provide for myself by public performances." Clopin was delighted at her courage. Still, he needed to talk seriously to her. "I am a storyteller and puppeteer myself, and there are many street singers and dancers among us," he said, "but they have belonged to our community for many years, some even since they were children. You are a newcomer and, besides, a young girl - you can�t start a performance in the streets completely on your own." "I could perform together with Esmeralda," suggested Madellaine. "It�s not that simple," noted Clopin, "for our community doesn�t know you. Besides, almost every young woman among us is married or at least planning to be." Madellaine looked at Quasimodo. "I suppose he is in love with me," she said unhesitatingly. Ad�le blushed, and she, Quasi and Christine hastened away. Madellaine was amazed. "Young Gypsies don�t talk about love affairs with their elders," Clopin explained her. "Our community regards Quasi and Ad�le as a couple, and I�m not so sure if his affair with another woman is going to be accepted." "Ad�le herself told me she had broken up with Quasi more than a year ago," remarked Madellaine. Then she remembered what the reason for the separation had been, and was startled. "Eh�I heard you were married to Ad�le�s mother. Did your community accept her easily?" Clopin smiled a little. "Yes, Ad�le�s mother Charlotte was my wife. She befriended some Gypsy girls when we were both 20, and then I wanted to get acquainted with her. She was lovable and completely free of prejudices. We fell in love, and she moved here with Ad�le - but before she could be accepted, our community needed to get to know her." "Is it true Quasimodo lived with your family as a child?" "Oh, you have been told�Yes, Charlotte found Quasi in the belltower and started to look after him. We adopted him - we hoped we could have raised him as our own - but then our persecutor took Ad�le and kept her as his prisoner�We took Quasi to him to get Ad�le back - of course, we meant to fetch Quasi back as soon as possible, but when we tried, our persecutor said he would kill him if we ever went to him again." "For Heaven�s sake!" exclaimed Madellaine. "How did Ad�le succeed in returning to Quasi on the day of the fire?" "Once a year, we celebrate the Feast of Fools in the city," told Clopin, "that time, Quasi had left the belltower to go to the feast, and Ad�le saw him there. So, next morning, she went to meet him." Madellaine smiled. "I�m glad you told me everything. Now, it�s much easier to understand Quasi, especially since he already told me about his guardian." "There is still one thing I need to tell you," said Clopin in a low voice, "Quasi�s name means �half-formed�. But you must never reveal that to Christine." Shocked, Madellaine hastened to Quasi and Ad�le�s dwelling. She remembered she hadn�t been given the permission to stay, but she didn�t care. Right then, Ad�le and the bellringer were talking about the dilemma. "Quasi, we�ll need to talk to our friends, so they can advise us," said Ad�le. "We don�t know what the community really thinks about your attraction to her and, on the other hand, our wish to take care of Christine together. What about if they are not going to accept her?" "I�m quite sure you wish they wouldn�t!" Quasimodo laughed a little. "What I consider most important is that Madellaine finds her place outside Sarousch�s company. I am going to appeal to the elders to help her." "Do you think I�ll let you date two women if she settles down here?" snapped Ad�le. "You said you love me!" She put her arm round his shoulders. "I do, Ad�le, but at the feast, I proclaimed love for her�I can�t hurt her by saying that I don�t feel love, because I do have feelings for her." At the moment, Madellaine opened the door. Christine ran to her, and she took her in her arms. Then she looked at Quasimodo. "Clopin told me more about your past," she said. "It�s important that you know," said the young man. "Did he say you may stay?" "I didn�t ask him yet," Madellaine admitted, "I suppose he won�t make the decision all by himself." "That�s true. When the rest of our friends return here in the evening the elders will discuss whether you can join us or not," noted Ad�le. "What if they don�t accept me?" "Do you have any relatives alive?" Ad�le asked. "At least, I don�t remember them," sighed Madellaine. "I have also been a member of a vagabond community since I was small, just four years old," remarked Ad�le. "Once my uncle tried to make me leave the Gypsies, but I refused, for that would have meant leaving Quasi as well." "If you are not allowed to stay here I�ll help you to find your family members," said the bellringer, "do you have any idea of where they live?" "When I was quite small I lived in the countryside with my family. When my father died my mother and I came here to Paris - I was five then - but she died a year later. After that, by coincidence, Sarousch took me into his care." In the evening, the vagabonds returned to the hideout and were amazed to meet Madellaine in Quasi and Ad�le�s company. The Gypsy women observed her coldly; they didn�t trust a girl who had made Quasi get so attracted to herself that he had proclaimed love for her in Ad�le�s presence. They looked at each other and made a quiet decision to put Madellaine to a test. Sarita�s elder daughter glanced significantly at her friends and said: "Her hair is really short!" "Indeed - as if she wanted to look like a man," her sister laughed a little, scornfully. "My goodness, she is wearing a lipstick!" exclaimed Mirette, "and still trying to win the affection of a Gypsy man!" "And what a short dress she has! It�s not suitable among us. Even the townswomen wear gowns that cover their feet!" Ad�le joined the mockers, for she understood well what the behaviour of her friends meant. Madellaine looked at them in embarrassment. She was going to give them a disdainful answer, but she happened to look at Quasimodo who stood near them talking to some Gypsy fellows. She didn�t want him to be ashamed of her. The Gypsy men were curious. "Are you going to start an affair with her? How are you going to solve the problem with Ad�le? She will never let her raise Christine." "Ad�le and I will continue taking care of Christine," assured Quasimodo, "the truth is that Madellaine and I can�t start an affair similar to mine and Ad�le�s, but I don�t want to hurt Madellaine�s feelings, particularly since I unintentionally did that to Ad�le." "Quasi", said Sarita�s elder son, "you have lived among us for seven years, and we consider you as one of us. Some of us have children with more than one woman, but none of them have been stolen from us. Besides, you and Ad�le are continually regarded as a couple, and although we may allow casual escapades, we don�t recommend permanent polygamy." "What if I chose Madellaine? Ad�le has a place in Clopin�s family, anyway," deliberated Quasimodo. "It�s absolutely sure Ad�le wouldn�t voluntarily give Christine to Madellaine," said his cousin. "But if you choose her you�ll need to talk to the elders, for when you and Ad�le broke the crock you became inseparable, according to our customs." "Still, Ad�le and I have lived separately for more than a year," remarked the bellringer, "I don�t think I would have thought about a new affair had Ad�le not left me." At the moment, Esmeralda and Phoebus joined the group. Esmeralda was amazed to see Madellaine accompanied by Ad�le�s friends, but soon, she found out what was in question. Madellaine was ashamed, as the Gypsy women were continually talking offensively to and about her. Esmeralda was annoyed. "Ad�le, I never thought you could behave like this!" Madellaine encouraged herself. "It seems to me I�m not welcome here anyway, although I already met Clopin." Right then, Quasimodo approached the group, and Mirette and Sarita�s daughters stepped aside. Ad�le blushed in turn, and Madellaine looked hesitatingly at the young man. Esmeralda said to him in a low voice: "You are in a difficult situation. The girls mocked Madellaine, and she is depressed. By the way, what are you going to do to this woman dilemma of yours?" "I love Madellaine in a different way than Ad�le," was everything Quasimodo could say. Then he went to the two rivals and said to Ad�le: "The Gypsies regard you as my wife." "Of course!" Ad�le was content, but Madellaine exclaimed: "You said you love me!" "I do, but that�s different from what I feel for Ad�le," confessed the young man. "If we want to live together here you�ll need to show the elders you are ready to follow our customs." "I am not a Gypsy," Madellaine snapped, "I won�t start wearing their clothes nor let anyone tell me with whom I may sit. And it�s out of the question I would let in any eyewitnesses when we make love!" "Madellaine! Where on earth did you get that idea?" exclaimed Quasimodo. "No one is going to be present if we sleep together, and it totally depends on you if we are going to do that at all! You don�t need to wear Gypsy clothes, that wasn�t what I meant. But you really do need to avoid certain discussion topics in the elders� presence, and in those situations, we shouldn�t sit together indeed." "Mirette said some of them do talk about others sleeping together," snapped Madellaine. "That�s rare," said Quasi, "and the men definitely don�t want to see someone else�s wife naked." "Ad�le said that if I�m sitting above somebody�s clothes they can no longer be worn," continued the girl. "She was exaggerating. You didn�t grow up here, so you don�t need to follow customs like that. Besides, it�s very rare that someone sits on another person�s clothes at all." Ad�le smiled spitefully, but Quasimodo snapped at her: "You shouldn�t vex Madellaine like that! Don�t forget she is alone now! I want her to get along well here." "Darn it, Quasi! I won�t look at your hesitation any more! Could you please tell us which of us you want, so we could decide who will take care of Christine?" Ad�le exclained impatiently. "This is incredible - first, you call me your wife, then you say you will make love to Madellaine if she wants to, then you say I shouldn�t vex her�What has changed you so much?" "I�m sorry, Ad�le." Quasimodo was ashamed. "I was obliged to say that to her because she had wrong ideas about the Gypsies. I definitely wasn�t going to talk about that in your presence." "I see," Madellaine said chillingly, "the truth is that everything you want of me is a few nights of love. But I won�t agree to that, for I love you! You must put an end to this. Either you will send your sister-wife and Christine away tomorrow morning, or I will go and tell the priests how dishonourably the bellringer of Notre Dame is treating me!" "Madellaine, you have mistaken," said the young man, "Ad�le and I are not siblings. Clopin�s father was my grandmother�s brother, and Clopin is Ad�le�s STEPfather, not a blood relative." "In any case, we must get rid of Ad�le," Madellaine announced, "I love Christine, but Ad�le may take her, for she is her mother." "I�m sorry, but it�s impossible for me to leave, for I belong here and have never lived in the city," noted Ad�le. "Besides, you came here as a stranger, so you have no right to exile any member of the community," remarked Quasimodo. "Quasi, you must decide what you are going to do," Ad�le sighed. "Please, give me time till tomorrow," said the young man, "I�ll need to ask for advice. It�s not just for us to decide whether Madellaine may stay here." He went to Clopin. "Madellaine is starting to get jealous of Ad�le," he said. "Most of the girls are on Ad�le�s side, naturally, and I have responsibilities towards both of them. Maybe the only thing I can do is to send either of them to the city." "Quasimodo," Clopin said seriously, "your main responsibility, as well as Ad�le�s, is to ensure Christine a happy childhood. She can trust and love you only if you show her you really care for her. Ad�le must lessen her rivalry with Madellaine, and it would be best if you forgot her, at least for now. But if you can�t, it�s Madellaine you should take away from here - Christine won�t bear you three continually quarrelling." "You are certainly right. But Madellaine doesn�t ever want to go back to the circus company, and I promised her I�ll do my best for her to stay here." "I see, and that�s good, but you can�t live here with two wives," said Clopin. "If you really love the family you already have you�ll take Madellaine to the city and help her to find her place there." The bellringer thought carefully. He wanted to be a good father, and he loved Ad�le, but he did also want to show his affection to Madellaine. However, it was true both women couldn�t stay in the Court - and if all of them moved to the city instead the people would insult him and treat Ad�le and Madellaine as strumpets. Fortunately, he remembered the belltower; that was definitely a safe place. But if he took Madellaine there she would be forbidden from him�If only they hadn�t told Christine about Frollo! "Clopin, I think I�ve found a casual solution," said he, "I�ll need to explain it to them all." As Quasi had guessed, Christine made a great noise when he revealed his idea next morning. "I won�t stay in there and let everyone say I am deformed!" "Christine, darling, no one is going to say such a thing to you!" Quasimodo embraced her. "You won�t be locked up there, and Ad�le will be there with you. Both of you may come down whenever you like." Then he added to Ad�le: "We must do that, for both you amd Madellaine can�t stay here, and if we lived in the city everybody would be harrassing us." "So, you will live here with me?" Madellaine didn�t even try to hide her delight. "I�ll help you get used to the lifestyle of the community," said Quasi, "but I�ll also go to meet Ad�le and Christine as often as I can, and Ad�le and I will continue taking care of our workshop." Madellaine got angry. "I�ll have you one day!" she whispered to herself. The young man saw her hostile look and warned: "Remember that the Cathedral is a sanctuary, so you can�t go there to bully Ad�le! I promise you�ll get along well here." Go to Chapter 6 Back to Fanfic Back to Index |