f other countries in Germany make contributions to it. A
society has been organized, too, to collect funds for this purpose all
over Europe. More than a million of dollars have already been raised,
and the work of completing the cathedral has been resumed in good
earnest, and is now rapidly going on.

All this Rollo's fellow-traveller attempted to explain to him; but as he
spoke in German, Rollo did not understand him.

When Mr. George and Rollo reached their hotel, and had got fairly
established in their room, Mr. George took his cane and prepared to "go
exploring," as he called it.

"Well, Rollo," said he, "what shall we go to see first?"

"I want to go and see the cathedral," replied Rollo.

"The cathedral?" said Mr. George. "I am surprised at that. You don't
usually care much about churches."

"But this does not look much like a church," said Rollo. "I saw the end
of it as we came into the town. It looks like a range of cliffs rising
high into the air, with grass and bushes growing on the top of them,
and wolves and bears reaching out their heads and looking down."

Mr. George complied with Rollo's request, and went to see the cathedral
first. The adventures which the travellers met with on the excursion
will be described in the next chapter.

CHAPTER II.

THE UNFINISHED CATHEDRAL.

As soon as Mr. George and Rollo issued from the door of their hotel into
the street, which was very narrow and without sidewalks, so that they
were obliged to walk in the middle of it, a young man, plainly but
neatly dressed, came up to them from behind, and said something to them
in German. He was what is called a commissioner, and he was coming to
offer to act as their guide in seeing the town.

Nearly all the travelling on the Rhine is _pleasure_ travelling. The
strangers consequently, who arrive at any town or city by the steamboats
and by railway, come, almost all of them, for the purpose of seeing the
churches and castles, and other wonders of the place, and not to
transact business; and in every town there is a great number of persons
whose employment it is to act as guides in showing these things. These
men hover about the doors of the hotels, and gather in front of all the
celebrated churches, and in all public places where travellers are
expected to go; and as soon as they see a gentleman, or a party of
gentlemen and ladies, coming out of their hotel, or approaching any
place of public interest, they immedi