“All that would be necessary for him to do would be to furnish me with a moderate military force.  With this I would march to Canossa; there I would espouse Adelheid; then I would proceed to Ivrea, would dethrone the wicked Berengar, would proclaim Adelheid queen in his place, with myself as king consort; then, with the assistance and backing of the imperial German, I would no doubt soon be able to maintain my royal pretensions.  Once self-supporting, and relying upon our Italian subjects for our army and finances, I would boldly re-establish the great kingdom of Lombardy, to which Charlemagne had put an end nearly two hundred years before.  Then would begin a grand system of reforms and national progress.

“Pavia should be my capital, but the beneficent influence of my rule should move southward.  I would make an alliance with the Pope; I would crush and destroy the factions which were shaking the foundations of church and state; I would still further extend my power—­I would become the imperial ruler of Italy, with Adelheid as my queen!

“Over and over again I worked out and arranged this grand scheme, and when I reached the court of the Emperor Otto it was all as plain in my mind as if it had been copied on parchment.

“I was very well received by the emperor, and he read with great interest and concern the letter I had brought him.  He gave me several private audiences, and asked me many questions about the fair young widow who had met with so many persecutions and misfortunes.  This interest greatly pleased me, but I did not immediately submit to him my plan for the relief of Adelheid and the great good of the Italian nation.  I would wait a little; I must make him better acquainted with myself.  But the imperial Otto did not wait.  On the third day after my arrival I was called into his cabinet and informed that he intended to set out himself at the head of an army; that he should relieve the unfortunate lady from her persecutions and establish her in her rights, whatever they might prove to be.  His enthusiastic manner in speaking of his intentions assured me that I need not trouble myself to say one word about my plans.

“Now,—­would you believe it?—­that intermeddling monarch took out of my hands the whole grand, ambitious scheme I had so carefully devised.  He went to Canossa; he married Adelheid; he marched upon Berengar; he subjugated him and made him his vassal; he formed an alliance with Pope John XII; he was proclaimed King of the Lombards; he was crowned with his queen in St. Peter’s; he eventually acquired the southern portion of Italy.  All this was exactly what I had intended to do.”

Mrs. Crowder laughed.  “In one way thee was served quite right, for thee made all thy plans without ever asking the beautiful young ex-queen whether she would have thee or not.”

In the tones of this fair lady’s voice there were evident indications of mental relief.  “And what did thee do then?” she asked.  “I hope thee got some reward for all thy faithful exertions.”