The Bell

The night before the new bell arrives, Toby and Dora organize a meeting at 2:30am at the lake to pull the old bell from the water. After initial misgivings, Toby has developed a passion for the project, both as a testament to his unexpressed feelings for Dora and for the engineering feat the venture entails. They have devised a plan to take the bell out of the lake by using a tractor and a winch and then hide the bell in the barn to await the ceremony. Once the new bell has been decorated for the ceremony with white garments and flowers, the pair will attempt to exchange the old bell for the new and thereby create a “miracle” for the convent and the community.

Toby drives the tractor down the ramp to the water and then dives to loop the rope around the bell’s eye, succeeding after the second try. Then he drives the tractor slowly back to the woods, and after several seconds of standstill, the bell slowly emerges from the lake. Dora and Toby check the bell by torchlight and, cleaning it of mud, find engraved scenes of the nativity, the Last Supper, and the crucifixion, just like Paul said the legendary bell had.