Sometimes she seems to insist on his playing
with her and to threaten to lose her temper unless he does play with her."
"What do you mean by playing with her?" Tanno queried.
"Have you ever seen any of these little Egyptian cats which some folks
have nowadays for pets?" Agathemer asked in his turn. "Creatures about as
long as your forearm and rather gentle?"
"Certainly," said Tanno. "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.
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