Quasimodo and Adèle spent very much time together. Adèle didn’t talk about her wishes any more, and the bellringer had started to reconcile himself to that Esmeralda was not for him. So, both of the youngsters were rather content.

However, Adèle had a secret plan. At first, she didn’t believe her own thoughts. Could a young girl like her ask such a thing of a man? That could spoil her wishes forever! Quasi could even think she wanted to blackmail him. Besides, it wasn’t right to do such a thing without love.

In the nights, Adèle thought about Quasimodo and everything he had told her. She laughed at her childhood memories and sighed when thinking about Esmeralda and Phoebus together in the belltower. Whenever remembering Frollo she shuddered with fury.

In the day-time, she smiled mysteriously at Mirette and Esmeralda.

One evening then, she stayed awake and waited till the rest of the family were asleep. She stood up quietly, got dressed and slid out. She had never before walked in the Court in the middle of the night, but she wasn’t afraid because she knew everybody there.

She approached the caravan of Sarita’s family, opened the door a little and whispered: "Quasi!" Only afterwards did she realize how stupid it was to call the bellringer by name – someone from the family could hear her voice! Nothing happened, and she needed to call Quasi still twice, but then he woke up.

"Is someone there?" he asked quietly. "Yes, it’s me, Adèle!" whispered the girl, trying to hide her smile.

"Adèle! What on earth are you doing here in the middle of the night?" Quasimodo was bewildered.

Adèle flushed. "I…wanted to see you", she whispered. "See me? Why did you have to come here in the night? You would surely have met me tomorrow."

Adèle was embarrassed. "Quasi…I was thinking that perhaps we could…spend the night together…" She quivered, turned pale and lowered her head.

It was a difficult moment for Quasimodo. He wondered why Adèle was so shy and restless. He knew very little about what happened between men and women. He deliberated for a while.

"I have never spent a night with anyone", he said in embarrassment.

Adèle grimaced. "Do you remember how you once jumped in Charlotte and Clopin’s bed? And we did always sleep in the same bed when we were small!"

"Adèle, we are no longer children, we are a man and a woman…", started the bellringer, and Adèle interrupted him, cheerfully:

"Exactly – and that’s why I came to you!" She flushed, for it wasn’t suitable for a Gypsy girl to make such suggestions.

Quasimodo looked more embarrassed than ever. "I thought as much! But…I don’t know…Where could we go? It’s not very nice if Sarita sees us together in the night."

After deliberating for a moment, Adèle asked him to come with her to Clopin’s caravan. That was unsuitable, but she was sure Esmeralda would be frightened if they went to her dwelling.

The youngsters slipped to the caravan and climbed inside. Adèle put her arms round Quasi, smiling tenderly. The bellringer still hesitated. "What if the others wake up?"

"Quasi, I love you", Adèle whispered and embraced him passionately. "I’m sure it will be wonderful."

Soon, she noticed Quasimodo was very inexperienced. True, this was the first time for her as well, but she had discussed those things quite a lot with her friends. She caressed and squeezed the young man, and he answered her tenderness.

Quasimodo was confused by his new experience, but he also thought his feelings for Adèle were changing. Finally, they were both ready and started to make love. They laughed a bit at the fact that Quasi was smaller than Adèle, but that didn’t disturb them.

"In fact, it’s nice to call you ’little one’", the girl whispered.

At the very moment, Mirette woke up. "What’s happening there?" she asked, getting up. Adèle was startled and pressed Quasi to her breast, whispering:

"Hush!"

Both of them pretended they hadn’t heard the question.

Mirette lighted a candle and approached her sister’s bed. "Adèle, is someone there with you?" Adèle didn’t respond, but Mertzi had also woken up, and Mirette told him in a low voice: "I think someone is sleeping with Adèle!" Mertzi rushed to the bed and saw Quasimodo.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped, grasped the bellringer’s arm and tried to pull him out of the bed. Quasi was frightened, but Adèle exclaimed: "Mertzi, leave him alone! This is not your business at all!"

"How dare you come here to seduce our sister!" raged Mertzi, spanking the bellringer. Quasimodo was bewildered.

"What are you talking about? I don’t know anything about seducing. Adèle herself wanted me here!"

When hearing that Mertzi grasped Adèle’s hair, but he shouldn’t have done that. Quasimodo forced him to detach his hold, slapped and overturned him.

"You won’t touch Adèle!" he said in a warning voice. "Could you please tell me what’s in question? Why did you attack me?"

"Because you have violated the honour of our family!" Mertzi snapped.

Adèle jumped out of the bed and shook her fist at her brother. "I did bring him here because I LOVE him!"

"Don’t you have any respect for our customs?" hissed Mertzi, and Mirette exclaimed: "How CAN you sleep with a man who doesn’t love you?"

Their voices awakened Clopin. "What on earth is happening here?" The youngsters were so agitated that they all started to shout in one voice. "Quiet!" shouted Clopin, "speak one at a time. Firstly, why are you here, Quasimodo?"

The bellringer was ashamed. He couldn’t tell the truth. Before he had time to explain, Mertzi snapped: "That hunchback was in Adèle’s bed!" Adèle glanced chillingly at her brother.

Clopin was embarrassed. "Quasi, you should have realized you can’t come here to harass my daughters."

"Clopin, Quasi did NOT harass me – I ASKED him to come here!" Adèle was ashamed, but she was obliged to tell the truth.

"How could you do that?" Clopin shook his head. Mirette, in turn, said to the bellringer: "When you were small, our parents took you as their own son, they loved you and took care of you – and now, you take Adèle from us, although we have trusted you!"

Adèle was touched.

"Mirette dear, I would never leave my family, I am your sister and daughter and I love you. But I am also a woman in love, and I won’t let anyone abuse and spank my beloved."

"Spank? Mertzi, did you spank him?" asked Clopin.

"I was defending the honour of our family!" his son exclaimed.

"I assure you I wasn’t going to offend anyone", said Quasimodo. "I love Adèle."

The girl started to shudder. "Love!" she whispered and staggered on the bed. Mertzi thought she had fainted and tried to attack the bellringer again, but Clopin prevented him.

"Mertzi, take it easy! It’s good you defend our honour, but I don’t suspect Quasi if he says he loves Adèle. In any case, it’s past midnight, and we’d best go to sleep and discuss this tomorrow."

The next morning, Quasimodo and Adèle left the Court.

"I think we shouldn’t have done that", said the young man, "it’s vexatious to get spanked by the girl’s brother!"

"I’m sorry, I couldn’t imagine he would really think you were treating me in a dishonorable way." Adèle was ashamed. "But…do you really…care for me?"

The bellringer put his arms round her. "Yes, I do…When I was embracing you I realized I couldn’t have agreed to your suggestion had I not loved you. Besides, it’s difficult for me to imagine Esmeralda in a situation like that."

Adèle squeezed him, happier than ever. "At first, I thought I shouldn’t propose to such a thing…By the way, Mirette once said to me: ’He was raised by our persecutor, and we know Frollo despised women’. That was why Mertzi talked about seducing."

"He did indeed, but the Archdeacon told me about Virgin Mary, and I had memories of Charlotte who was far from evil. Not to mention how kindly Esmeralda treated me…so I don’t despise women."

Quasimodo was going to ask Clopin for Adèle’s hand, but the Gypsy youngsters explained him that he should take his sweetheart away from the Court. So, soon after the night of love those two left the hideout, and no-one knew for sure where they had disappeared. The twins were extremely restless.

"Didn’t I tell you that bellringer would take Adèle from us?" Mirette vexed herself. Clopin, in turn, discussed with Sarita.

"I know nothing would have gladdened Charlotte more than Adèle and Quasi living together", he said.

"Adèle is a lovable and brave girl, an ideal partner for Quasimodo", Sarita assured. "So, if they love each other she is welcome to join our family."

"But first, we need to get her back here, so we see Quasi’s intentions are serious", remarked Clopin.

"Quasi, I feel sick!" moaned Adèle. The young man patted and calmed her, but she talked to him rather unkindly. "I feel so terrible – and I can’t even get out of here!"

"Adèle, my dear, I would do something to make you feel better if I only knew what I could do", said Quasimodo, embracing her. Adèle was peevish.

"I have never got sick like this so suddenly, and I would never have moved up here if I had known!"

The next days were difficult. Adèle was unwell every morning, and she continually spoke sharply to Quasimodo. The bellringer brought her food and comforted her, but Adèle was discontented because she couldn’t meet anyone.

So, one day, about three weeks after the elopement, she decided to leave the tower to go to meet Esmeralda and Phoebus. However, when she was only half-way down the stairs, she felt pain and was very near falling down.

"Quasi!" she screamed, and the bellringer hastened to her.

Adèle cried, groaned and demanded the young man to take her to their friends. Quasimodo was more restless than ever.

"For Heaven’s sake, what’s the matter with you?" Adèle pressed her hand on her stomach.

"I…don’t think I can walk all the way down", she panted. Quasi took her in his arms.

The dancer and the Captain were delighted to meet Adèle again. "Will I tell Mirette and Mertzi you have moved to the belltower?" teased Esmeralda. Adèle tried to smile, but suddenly, she felt terrible pain again. "I need help!" she screamed.

Quasimodo remembered the Arab healer who lived in the Court of Miracles. No-one else could help Adèle. The bellringer asked Phoebus and Esmeralda to take care of his sweetheart and hastened to the Court of Miracles.

"Nefaltia! Nefaltia! I need your help – come quickly!" he shouted.

The healer was amazed to see him so restless. "What’s the matter?"

"Adèle has felt sick every morning since I took her to the belltower. Today, she wanted to return to the city, but when walking down the stairs she had a hard pain…You MUST come to see her!"

Nefaltia was sure she knew what Adèle’s symptoms meant. She followed the bellringer to the square where Esmeralda was holding Adèle who was almost unconscious. Nefaltia took the girl in her arms, and all of them returned to the Court. Quasimodo followed Nefaltia to her dwelling.

"Please, tell me what has happened to her!" Nefaltia saw Adèle was bleeding.

"Obviously, she is having a miscarriage – losing her child", she said.

"Oh, no! I didn’t have any idea of that she was pregnant!" Quasimodo was frightened. "Can’t you do anything to prevent the miscarriage?"

"I hope so", said the healer, "but now she needs rest. I will attend on her."

Adèle had recovered consciousness, but she groaned all the time. Nefaltia did her best to relieve her pains, but since her bleeding was still increasing the healer became convinced that the miscarriage was inevitable. She urged Quasi to leave.

Esmeralda was restless about her friend. She told Mirette everything she knew about the

accident, and the girls hastened to Nefaltia’s dwelling. "How is Adèle?" Mirette asked, agitated. Nefaltia explained that her sister had lost her child. The girls wanted to see Adèle, and soon, all of her young friends arrived to comfort and encourage her. "To recover, Adèle needs rest and privacy", Nefaltia advised them.

Clopin was content that Quasimodo had returned to the hideout. However, when he teasingly asked about Adèle the bellringer looked worried. "Adèle is sick – you need to talk to Nefaltia", he said.

Of course, Clopin couldn’t meet Adèle for some time. The girl lived with Nefaltia who attended on her carefully. It took several weeks for her to recover. When she was allowed to return to Clopin’s caravan he said seriously:

"Adèle dear, you could have died! You shouldn’t have climbed to the belltower."

"Clopin, I didn’t know about that until we had left." Adèle blushed. "But I couldn’t have survived without Nefaltia’s help."

Adèle was delighted that she could spend time in the city again. Quasimodo was shy, but Adèle didn’t want to leave the hideout without him. One day, they passed a workshop where some men were making wooden objects.

Quasimodo stopped to watch their working, but suddenly, he was addressed by an aged man

"Hey, young man, who are you? And who is your companion?"

The young man was amazed. "I’m Quasimodo, the bellringer of Notre Dame, and this is Adèle, my…friend."

"You are making very beautiful objects", smiled Adèle. The man looked hard at her.

"You are not a Gypsy", he noted. "Why are you wearing their clothes?"

"Why do you want to know that?" Adèle asked, suspiciously.

"You remind me of someone…Now, answer me!"

"I have lived among the Gypsies since I was small", said Adèle. "My mother married a Gypsy man."

"What was your mother’s name?" the craftsman asked. Adèle didn’t know what to think, but she replied: "Charlotte. She died almost two years ago."

"What about you, what’s your name?"

"Come, Adèle, you don’t need to talk about us to total strangers", said Quasimodo in his turn, grasped his sweetheart’s hand and tried to lead her away. But then, the craftsman stepped out of the workshop and came to the youngsters.

"Girlie, it seems to me you are my niece."

"What?" Adèle was bewildered. "You mean – you are my uncle? But…we have never met before!"

"My brother who originally owned this workshop was married to a woman named Charlotte", told the craftsman.

"They had a little daughter, Adèle, who looked very much like you. Almost a year after my brother’s death, Charlotte married a young Gypsy man and settled down among vagabonds. Naturally, I wasn’t very willing to keep contact with her – especially since I didn’t have any idea of where the vagabonds lived – but I observed her and you each time I saw you in the streets. Now, I paid attention to you because this is the first time when I see you accompanied by a young man."

Adèle laughed a little. "Yes…Quasimodo is my childhood friend."

"He has a very unusual name", remarked the craftsman. "What does it mean?"

"Come, Adèle, we need to go", the bellringer said impatiently.

"I hope to meet you again soon", said the girl to the craftsman, "good-bye."

Clopin was thunderstruck when Adèle told him whom she had met.

"I have never met him, but your mother told me about him", he said. "I suggested to her that she would sell your father’s workshop to him."

"What if he wants me to move back to his family? I can’t leave our community…or Quasi."

Adèle’s uncle was very interested in her life. Whenever seeing her in the city he made her questions about the way of life of the vagabonds, and he even tried to get her to tell where the secret hideout was. However, the girl was suspicious; his uncle had strong prejudices against the Gypsies. Besides that, he didn’t accept Adèle’s affection with Quasimodo. Sometimes, he invited Adèle to visit him, but he didn’t want to meet the bellringer.

"You shouldn’t spend so much time in his company", he said. "Unlike you, he is a vagabond by birth, and besides – why are you so interested in a hunchback?"

"Quasimodo is my childhood friend", Adèle explained. "Besides, the whole vagabond community regards me as a Gypsy."

Needless to say the Gypsies were not too delighted at Adèle visiting an aged Parisian man they didn’t know at all. She, in turn, was surprised that her uncle didn’t have a family of his own. One day, he told her:

"I had a daughter, Josiane, who was born after your mother had taken you among the Gypsies. When she was six an accident occurred to her – she fell down through the window while she was playing in our house with some other children. It took many years until your aunt Estelle and I had another child, a son…But Estelle died in childbed, and the baby lived only a few days."

Adèle sighed. Then, suddenly, she happened to think of something. "Who is your heir?"

"You are my nearest relative, Adèle", answered her uncle. "Besides, this workshop was originally meant to be your inheritance."

The girl was amazed. "I…am not prepared to take care of a workshop", she remarked. "I’m a Gypsy."

The same evening, she told Quasimodo about her uncle’s family. The bellringer was deeply shocked.

"I think he wants me to inherit the workshop – but he doesn’t seem to approve of my love for you", said Adèle.

"I could be a craftsman", noted Quasimodo.

"Of course, but my uncle is very prejudiced", the girl remarked.

The next day, Mertzi arrived at the workshop and saw Adèle in her uncle’s company. The man treated him rather coldly.

"Where is your bellringer?" teased Mertzi. Before Adèle had time to answer, her uncle snapped: "I don’t want him here!"

Mertzi was surprised, but then he urged his sister to return to the Court with him. "You know you should come back home!"

The uncle thought Adèle’s family did also object to her relationship with Quasimodo, so he said: "It’s good that your Gypsy relatives are reasonable. I think you should go."

Adèle got annoyed, but neither of the siblings did want to start correcting the uncle’s ideas. They left the workshop and walked towards the graveyard without noticing that the man followed them.

As soon as the vagabonds saw the comers, one of them exclaimed:

"What is that stranger doing here?" Adèle was startled, turned round and saw her uncle.

"I did NOT invite him here!" she convinced to her stepfather who grimaced mischievously at the craftsman and said:

"I suppose that you don’t have any idea of how we treat trespassers, my friend."

"Are you Adèle’s new father?" the Parisian asked, ignoring the mockery.

"Yes, I’m Clopin, her father and the leader of this community", answered the Gypsy man

"I am the brother of Adèle’s real father who died sixteen years ago", told the Parisian, "and I would like to discuss with you."

Clopin grimaced again. "We could discuss if we had met each other somewhere else", said he, "but we don’t want trespassers to our hideout."

"Clopin, could you please listen to him?" Adèle asked. "He does have prejudices against the Gypsies, but he wants to talk about my future."

"All right, my dear", said Clopin after hesitating for a while.

Adèle’s uncle started to talk about the workshop and told shortly about the fate of his family. "Besides, I want Adèle to return to the honourable society", he added. "I don’t like the hunchback at all."

At the very moment, Adèle saw Quasimodo at the entrance. The bellringer hastened to her. Clopin looked at them and said to the craftsman: "Adèle has lived among our people the past sixteen years, and I don’t think she would be ready to leave us any more. Besides, it’s obvious she loves this young man, and I don’t object to their marriage, for I have known Quasimodo since he was a child."

The lovers found it best to leave. Adèle’s uncle said to Clopin:

"During the past years, when I saw Charlotte in the city accompanied by Gypsies, I thought I should try to urge her to move back among honourable citizens. Now that Charlotte is dead and Adèle seems to have fallen in love with that hunchback I really think it would be best for her to return where she originally belongs."

Clopin looked sad. "Charlotte was my wife whom I loved very much", he said. "Adèle has been my daughter during the past sixteen years. She, as well as my younger children, Mirette and Mertzi, remind me of Charlotte all the time. So, it’s out of the question that I would let a total stranger take any of my children away – let alone if they are reluctant."

"But you are ready to let your daughter marry a hunchback?"

"Yes, I am, because I know him, and he loves her", assured Clopin.

Meanwhile, the Gypsies started to get restless. Some of them threw objects at Adèle’s uncle, and Mertzi shouted: "If we let him go he’ll reveal our hideout to the holders of power of the city!"

"Take it easy, Mertzi", calmed Clopin, "we can’t harm him because he is Adèle’s relative."

He turned to look at the craftsman. "You have to accept the girl’s choice – and remember this: you must never ever return to the Court of Miracles, for this is not a place for the ’honourable’ citizens, like you say."

"Adèle belongs to the city", said the trespasser determinedly.

"You can ask her", Clopin grimaced. Mirette fetched her sister, and the uncle said to her:

"You will inherit the workshop from me, but only if you move back to the city and leave the hunchback."

"Thank you, but I’m not interested in the workshop", Adèle answered seriously. "I’m very sorry for your wife and children, but I am a vagabond, and I haven’t had anything to do with you for sixteen years! Besides, I love Quasimodo, and it’s out of the question that I would leave him only because of some property or because you don’t like his appearance."

Her uncle understood she wouldn’t change her mind. "All right, Adèle", he said, "but I’m very disappointed in you."

Unexpectedly, Rosita stepped to him. "You have lost your family", she said. "Please, let me foretell your future – but you need to believe in my words and give up your prejudices, otherwise my prediction won’t come true."

The Parisian was suspicious, but Rosita’s words made a deep influence on the vagabonds. She had a look at the man’s palm, after which she said:

"Soon, you will find a new wife, and you are going to have three children with her. So, the sad time in your life will soon be over, and you don’t need to worry about your inheritance."

Adèle’s uncle was thunderstruck. "I hope you are right", he said.

After that he said good-bye to his niece and asked Clopin to take good care of her. Two Gypsy men followed him out and showed him the way back to the city.

The next evening, when the whole community was present in the Court, Sarita, her husband and Clopin gave beautiful speeches to Quasimodo and Adèle. Finally, Clopin urged the youngsters to take their stand in the middle of the crowd and gave a crock to Adèle.

"Give it to your beloved", he said, smiling. Adèle did that.

"Throw it in the ground", she said. Quasi was surprised, but he did as he was told. The crock went to pieces, and all of the vagabonds cheered.

"Now you are a couple", declared Clopin. "Quasi, treat my daughter tenderly and remain faithful to her."

"Adèle, be gentle to my nephew and remain faithful to him", added Sarita.