a corresponding glance of the eyes she shows that the theme is to be love.  For emphasis also she curves the whole upper part of her body towards him, to exhibit the intensity of her passion.  To complete the mimic story, she makes with her left hand the sign of asking for something, which has been above described (see page 291).  The letter, then, is to assure her husband of her love and to beg him to return it with corresponding affection.  The other woman, perhaps her sister, who has understood the whole direction, regards the request as silly and fruitless and is much disgusted.  Being on her feet, she takes a step toward the wife, who she thinks is unadvised, and raises her left hand with a sign of disapprobation.  This position of the hand is described in full as open, raised high, and oscillated from right to left.  Several of the Indian signs have the same idea of oscillation of the hand raised, often near the head, to express folly, fool.  She clearly says, “What a thing to ask! what a fool you are!” and at the same time makes with the right hand the sign of money.  This is made by the extremities of the thumb and index rapidly rubbed against each other, and is shown more clearly in Fig. 77.  It is taken from the handling and counting of coin.  This may be compared with an Indian sign, see Fig. 115, page 344.

So the sister is clearly disapproving with her left hand and with her right giving good counsel, as if to say, in the combination, “What a fool you are to ask for his love; you had better ask him to send you some money.”

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[Illustration:  Fig. 78.—­Neapolitan hot-corn vender.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 79.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 80.]

In Naples, as in American cities, boiled ears of green corn are vended with much outcry.  Fig. 78 shows a boy who is attracted by the local cry “Pollanchelle tenerelle!” and seeing the sweet golden ears still boiling in the kettle from which steams forth fragrance, has an ardent desire to taste the same, but is without a soldo.  He tries begging.  His right open hand is advanced toward the desired object with the sign of asking or begging, and he also raises his left forefinger to indicate the number one—­“Pretty girl, please only give me one!” The pretty girl is by no means cajoled, and while her left hand holds the ladle ready to use if he dares to touch her merchandise, she replies by gesture “Te voglio da no cuorno!” freely translated, “I’ll give you one in a horn!” This gesture is drawn, with clearer outline in Fig. 79, and has many significations, according to the subject-matter and context, and also as applied to different parts of the body.  Applied to the head it has allusion, descending from high antiquity, to a marital misfortune which was probably common in prehistoric times as well as the present.  It is also often used as an amulet against the jettatura