I am not reading very well at the moment and have trouble following the plots of lots of books, this is really a novella written for a film studio (MGM) to which Greene was contracted post war.
The plot begins quite simply – Chavel, a wealthy Parisian lawyer, is one of 12 men imprisoned by the Nazis. For some breach or other, 3 of them have to be executed and they draw lots. Chavel draws one of the short straws and, Faust like, offers his fortune to anyone who will take his place. One prisoner offers and a deed is drawn up.
Subsequently (post war?) Chavel in penury visits his old house, now occupied by the prisoners relatives with an assumed name and falls in love with the prisoner’s sister. However (and this where I got lost) another imposter turns up claiming to be Chavel and also woos the girl. The two men fight it out and Chavel is killed, and dies repenting. Not great or great Greene.
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