Syntactic Trees

Love letter from Gertrudes Rosa da Conceição, prisoner, to António José Ferreira, salesman, also in jail.

The author informs her lover about the conditions she is in at the Limoeiro jail.

Gertrudes Rosa da Conceição was accused of commiting adultery with António José Ferreira, a salesman that worked for her husband, Francisco Ferreira, a grocer. She used to receive her lover in her room while her husband was away on business and this was witnessed by her servants. Even after the lovers were both in prison, they continued to exchange letters, in which there were signs of an arrangement to kill the husband. In fact, Gertrudes' brother, known as the «sailor», did hurt his brother-in-law with a dagger, but, in spite of the serious wounds, Francisco Ferreira survived. Gertrudes ended up acquitted from this accusation, for there was not enough evidence against her.

«Mr. António. I greatly esteem your health. [...] since the day of the visit, I've been in bed, very sick with an abortion I had [...] the visit, I was for a few [...] days losing a lot of blood [...] but it was too much that day and, when I came, I have been brought already uncounscious and I was taken to the infirmary. I've been under the doctor and the surgeon's care and eating liquids, everything at my expense, and, you see, without me having a thing, how I could have gone through this. I pawned my daughter's necklesses to take care of myself. I'm better now but I'm still unable to get up, because I'm very weak and my head is exhausted, may God give the payment to whoever is the guilty of these problems, since [...] as far as mine are concerned [...] I know nothing because [...] they tell me nothing [...] I could now write [...] because the judge brought me a ticket asking [...] in the infirmary and for me to send [...] son. I immediately recognized your handwriting but I said I didn't. Therefore, don't write to her because she has gotten a letter from Ferreira, to see if I write to you, promising a few coins. This way, I ask you not to write to me through her nor through anyone else, except for Mr. João, the one who's in a division in the living room, and who's a very skilful man. He is married to a lady who is here in the infirmary. I'm in the infirmary until God wishes so, since I don't know when I'll leave. That's what I now can [...] to you [...] delivered from this and costs [...].