house which led across the northern part of the estate, through a
wood, to the Krutitsk cemetery. In the town they called this the
footpath of Navii,[2] and they were afraid to walk upon it even by
day. Many legends grew up around it. The local _intelligentsia_
tried vainly to disprove them. The whole property was sometimes called
Navii's playground. There were some who said that they had seen with
their own eyes this enigmatic inscription on the gates: "Three went
in, two came out." This inscription was, of course, no longer there.
Now only lightly cut-out figures were to be seen, one under the other:
'3' on top, '2' lower, and '1' at the bottom.

[Footnote 2: Footpath of the dead.]

All the evil rumours and warnings did not prevent Giorgiy Sergeyevitch
Trirodov from buying the house. He made changes in it, and then
settled here after his comparatively brief educational career had been
rudely cut short.

It took a long time to rebuild and transform the house. The high walls
prevented any one from seeing what was being done there. This aroused
the curiosity of the townsfolk and caused all sorts of malicious
gossip. The working men did not belong to the place, but were brought
from a distance. Dark and short and rather gruff-looking, they did not
understand the local speech, and seldom showed themselves in the
streets.

"They are wicked and dark" was said about them in the town. "They
carry knives about with them, and dig underground passages in Navii's
playground. He himself is clean-shaven like a German, and he's
imported these foreign earth-diggers."