The Secret Adversary

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a preposterous dream. With Mr. Brown unmasked and captured he
believed, rightly or wrongly, that the whole organization would crumble
ignominiously and instantaneously. The strange permeating influence
of the unseen chief held it together. Without him, Tommy believed an
instant panic would set in; and, the honest men left to themselves, an
eleventh-hour reconciliation would be possible.

"This is a one-man show," said Tommy to himself. "The thing to do is to
get hold of the man."

It was partly in furtherance of this ambitious design that he had
requested Mr. Carter not to open the sealed envelope. The draft
treaty was Tommy's bait. Every now and then he was aghast at his own
presumption. How dared he think that he had discovered what so many
wiser and clever men had overlooked? Nevertheless, he stuck tenaciously
to his idea.