ately come up to them, and offer
their services. Sometimes their services are valuable, and the traveller
is very ready to avail himself of them, especially when in any
particular town there is a great deal to see, and he has but little time
to see it. At other times, however, it is much pleasanter to go alone to
the remarkable places, as a map of the city will enable any one to find
them very easily, and the guide book explains them in a much more
satisfactory manner than any of these commissioners can do it.

The commissioners generally speak French, English, and German, and after
trying one of these tongues upon the strangers whom they accost, and
finding that they are not understood, they try another and another until
they succeed.

The commissioner in this case addressed Mr. George first in German. Mr.
George said, "_Nein_," meaning no, and walked on.

The commissioner followed by his side, and began to talk in French,
enumerating the various churches and other objects of interest in
Cologne, and offering to go and show them.

"No," said Mr. George, "I am acquainted with the town, and I have no
need of a guide."

Mr. George had studied the map and the guide book, until he knew the
town quite well enough for all his purposes.

"You speak English, perhaps," said the commissioner, and then proceeded
to repeat what he had said before, in broken English. He supposed that
Mr. George and Rollo were English people, and that they would be more
likely to engage him as a guide, if they found that he could explain the
wonders to them in their own language.

Mr. George said, "No, no, I do not wish for a guide."

"Dere is die churts of St. Ursula," said the commissioner, persisting,
"and die grand towers of die gross St. Martin, which is vare bu'ful."

Mr. George finding that refusals did no good, determined to take no
further notice of the commissioner, and so began to talk to Rollo,
walking on all the time. The commissioner continued for some time to
enumerate the churches and other public buildings, which he could show
the strangers if they would but put themselves under his guidance; but
when at length he found that they would not listen to him, he went away.

[Illustration: THE BEGGAR.]

Very soon an old beggar man came limping along on a crutch, with a
countenance haggard and miserable, and, advancing to them, held out his
cap for alms. Mr. George, who thought it was not best to give to beggars
in the streets,