.

They told him what cheer.

'But,' Prince Bellamant ended, 'it's really no use. I can't keep under
water more than two minutes however much I try. And my precious
Belinda's not likely to find any silly old bell that doesn't ring, and
can't ring, and never will ring, and was never made to ring.'

'Ho, ho,' laughed the Enchanter with the soft full laughter of old age.
'You've come to the right shop. Who told you?'

'The bells,' said Belinda.

'Ah, yes.' The old man frowned kindly upon them. 'You must be very fond
of each other?'

'We are,' said the two together.

'Yes,' the Enchanter answered, 'because only true lovers can hear the
true speech of the bells, and then only when they're together. Well,
there's the bell!'

He pointed to the covering of the well, went forward, and touched some
lever or spring. The covering swung out from above the well, and hung
over the grass grey with the dew of dawn.

'_That?_' said Bellamant.

'That,' said his god-father. 'It doesn't ring, and it can't ring, and it
never will ring, and it was never made to ring. Get into it.'

'Eh?' said Bellamant forgetting his manners.

The old man took a hand of each and led them under the bell.

They looked up. It had windows of thick glass, and high seats about
four feet from its edge, running all round inside.

'Take your seats,' said the Enchanter.

Bellamant lifted his Princess to the bench and leaped up beside her.

'Now,' said the old man, 'sit still, hold each other's hands, and for
your lives don't move.'

He went away, and next moment they felt the bell swing in the air. It
swung round till once more it was over the well, and then it went down,
down, down.

'I'm not afraid, with you,' said Belinda, because she was, dreadfully.

Down went the bell. The glass windows leaped into light, looking through
them the two could see blurred glories of lamps in the side of the cave,
magic lamps, or perhaps merely electric, which, curiously enough have
ceased to seem magic to us nowadays. Then with a plop the lower edge of
the bell met the water, the water rose inside it, a little, then not any
more. And the bell went down, down, and above their heads the green
water lapped against the windows of the bell.

'You're under water--if we stay five minutes,' Belinda whispered.

'Yes, dear,' said Bellamant, and pulled out his ruby-studded
chronometer.

'It's five minutes for you, but oh!' cried Belinda, 'it's _now_ for me.
For I've