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gave them the opportunity to exercise much authority.
    Finally Boott broke the silence. “John Farnsworth will be arriving from England within the week. Of course, I’ll be meeting with him upon his arrival, but I would like for you to be present also. In the meantime, make arrangements for him at one of the better boardinghouses. I’m sure he’ll expect a house to himself, but we can negotiate that after his arrival.”
    “Farnsworth. He’s the expert you hired for calico printing, isn’t he?”
    Boott nodded his head, a wry smile crossing his lips. “Quite a negotiator. Did I tell you about my meeting with him in England?”
    Matthew leaned forward, his eyes alight with interest. “No, I don’t believe so.”
    “When we first discussed the possibility of calicos, Francis—Mr. Lowell—mentioned the talented artisan he had met when he toured the mills in England. Said the man was one of the most brilliant craftsmen he’d ever had the pleasure of meeting. When we ran into difficulty producing our calicos, the Associates agreed that I should attempt to locate Farnsworth.”
    “And he was obviously willing to leave England.”
    “After a bit of dickering about his wage. When I asked what wage he would require, he told me five thousand dollars a year.”
    Matthew’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe his own ears. “He was joking, of course.”
    “I’m afraid not. When I told him that was more than we paid the governor of Massachusetts, he replied, ‘Well, can the governor of Massachusetts print?’ I had to tell him the governor could not and that I needed him more than I needed the governor.”
    “The Associates agreed to a salary of five thousand dollars? That’s difficult to believe.”
    Kirk reached for the small cushion he carried with him whenever he traveled. “It’s bad enough that my back gives me problems when I sit in a comfortable chair, but riding in these coaches is going to be the total ruination of my spine,” he stated, pushing the support behind his back and settling farther into the seat. “Where was I? Oh yes, discussing the merits of John Farnsworth’s wages. ’Tis true the man will be paid more than any of us, and that was a difficult pill to swallow—harder for some than others. However, we came to the conclusion that he will be worth that figure ten times over once the Merrimack is producing quality prints.”
    “I don’t doubt you’ve made a sound decision.”
    “There isn’t a man among the Associates who would doubt the validity of the man’s worth. After all, if there was anything that Francis Cabot Lowell knew, it was the looms and textiles.”
    “I’m sorry I didn’t have the opportunity to meet Mr. Lowell before his death.”
    Kirk stared out the coach window for several minutes, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Matthew had settled back, the motion of the coach beginning to lull his senses, when suddenly Kirk leaned forward, slapped Matthew on the knee, and issued a challenge. “Well, my young friend, if you were the agent in charge of this project, how would you reconcile the problem of the Irish? Would you remove them from the land? Order them to quit their fighting or suffer the consequences?”
    Matthew cleared his throat. “I would work through their religion. As Mr. Appleton pointed out earlier this evening, they’re all papists. No one has more influence over the Irish than a Catholic priest. If you could somehow manage to have a priest assigned to them, it could help. Many of the men now have their families with them. A strong religious leader could keep the men in line and possibly alleviate the feuding.”
    “I knew you were bright. I believe you have an idea worth exploring. I’m personally acquainted with Bishop Fenwick. I believe I’ll send an invitation for him to visit in the near future—or perhaps I should travel to Boston and pay him a visit myself. Excellent idea, excellent.”
    Matthew basked in the adulation for only a moment before