upon him, beautiful as none can ever hope to be.
If she had come, unnamed, as any country maid, her loveliness would have
dazzled him like sea-foam in the sun; but she was girt with her magical
Cestus, a spell of beauty that no one can resist.

Without a bribe she might have conquered, and she smiled upon his dumb
amazement, saying, "Paris, thou shalt yet have for wife the fairest woman
in the world."

At these words, the happy shepherd fell on his knees and offered her the
golden apple. He took no heed of the slighted goddesses, who vanished in a
cloud that boded storm.

From that hour he sought only the counsel of Venus, and only cared to find
the highway to his new fortunes. From her he learned that he was the son
of King Priam of Troy, and with her assistance he deserted the nymph
Oenone, whom he had married, and went in search of his royal kindred.

For it chanced at that time that Priam proclaimed a contest of strength
between his sons and certain other princes, and promised as prize the most
splendid bull that could be found among the herds of Mount Ida. Thither
came the herdsmen to choose, and when they led away the pride of Paris's
heart, he followed to Troy, thinking that he would try his fortune and
perhaps win back his own.

The games took place before Priam and Hecuba and all their children,
including those noble princes Hector and Helenus, and the young Cassandra,
their sister. This poor maiden had a sad story, in spite of her royalty;
for, because she had once disdained Apollo, she was fated to foresee all
things, and ever to have her prophecies disbelieved. On this fateful day,
she alone was oppressed with strange forebodings.

But if he who was to be the ruin of his country had returned, he had come
victoriously. Paris won the contest. At the very moment of his honor, poor
Cassandra saw him with her prophetic eyes; and seeing as well all the
guilt and misery that he was to bring upon them, she broke into bitter
lamentations, and would have warned her kindred against the evil to come.
But the Trojans gave little heed; they were wont to look upon her visions
as spells of madness. Paris had come back to them a glorious youth and a
victor; and when he made known the secret of his birth, they cast the
words of the oracle to the winds, and received the shepherd as a long-lost
prince.

Thus far all went happily. But Venus, whose promise had not yet been
fulfilled, bade Paris procure a ship and go in se