Doubtless you have heard of that ?" "Yes," said Cleek.

"But what you are now telling me sheds a new light upon the matter.

Am I to understand, then, that all that talk, on the bills and in the newspapers, about the lion being a savage and a dangerous one is not true, and that he really is attached to his owner, and his owner's family ?" "That is the truth," replied Scarmelli; "Nero is, in fact, the gentlest, most docile, most intelligent beast of his kind living.

In short, sir, there's not a 'bite' in him; and, added to that, he is over thirty years old.

Zelie--Miss di Roma--will tell you that he was born in captivity; that from his earliest moment he has been the pet of her family; that he was, so to speak, raised with her and her brothers; that, as children, they often slept with him; that he will follow those he loves like any dog, fight for them, protect them, let them tweak his ears and pull his tail without showing the slightest resentment, even though they may actually hurt him.