noon
At the door he timidly asked her whether he might once more look on his mistress ; but she was obliged to forbid it for fear of infection . However , he proudly replied : `` What you do not fear , has no terrors for me , '' and he followed her to the side of the bed where the corpse now lay washed and in fine array ; and when he saw Katharina kiss the dead woman 's hand he , too , as soon as she looked away , pressed his lips on the place hers had touched . Then he sat down by the bed and remained there till she sent him away . Before noon the bishop arrived to perform the last rites . He found the body surrounded by beautiful flowers . Katharina had been out in the garden again and had cut all the rarest and finest ; and though she had allowed the gardener to carry the basket for her , she would not have him help her in gathering them . The feeling that she was doing something for her mother had been a comfort to her ; still , by day everything about her seemed even more intolerable than by night .