"I heard the old man say yesterday, 'And by next Saturday he will be at sea.' It was as if he was going to get a Christmas present." And David went on about other business.
Once put on the right track, it was not difficult to get the idea.

He went to the firm's printer, but found they had had no orders for printing his report.

The next morning, instead of spending his time with his own last arrangements, he began hunting up other printing offices, and finally found what he was looking for.

His report was already in print, with one paragraph left out--that one which related to the shortage of cars.

His name was signed to it, with a little preamble by the firm, urging the investment on the favorable notice of their customers, and spoke in high terms of the accuracy of his estimates.
To say that Pete did not once contemplate continuing his arrangements as if nothing had happened would not be true.