"I've seen a number of them at ultra-fashionable mansions of the fast set, who must have the latest novelty." "Ever see any of their kittens ?" Agathemer asked.
"Two or three times I have," Tanno replied.

"Amusing, fluffy little creatures, not much bigger than a man's hand." "Ever see one play with a ball ?" Agathemer asked.
Tanno laughed.
"Run after a ball, you mean," he said, "slap it first with one paw and then with the other, bound after it and all that ?" "No," said Agathemer, "I do not mean that way; I mean the way a kitten will pretend that a ball is another kitten, will lie on the floor with the ball between its paws, will kick it with its hind feet and paw at it with its forefeet and yet not really claw it." "I've seen that, too," said Tanno.
"Well," said Agathemer, "Hedulio acts as the ball or the other kitten for that big leopard.

He lies down on the pavement by her and they tussle like two puppies, only it is cat-play not dog-play.

Hedulio kicks and slaps the leopard and she kicks and slaps him, and they are all mixed up like a pair of wrestlers, and she growls and mouths his hands and arms and shoulders, yet she never bites or claws him, does all that clawing of him with her claws sheathed; never hurts him, and, when she has had enough play, lets him lead her off to her cage." "Miraculous!" cried Tanno, "but beastly undignified.

Fancy a Roman, of equestrian rank, moving in Rome's best society circles, a friend of the Emperor, sprawling on a pavement playing with a stinking leopard, letting her tousle him and rumple his clothes, and letting her slobber her foul saliva all over his arms and shoulders! I'm ashamed of you, Hedulio!" "Nothing to be ashamed of!" I said.