History tells us that Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on the desolate island of St. Helena in 1821. Or did he? A revisionist take on history, this tale proposes an alternative truth in which a secret network of loyalists hatch an ingenious plot: the Emperor will return to Paris, in order to reclaim his throne, while a look-alike takes his place in exile. Trading identities with a dissolute sailor, Napoleon is spirited back to France to reclaim his throne. Yet early on in the scheme, the plan goes awry. The double refuses to give up playing Napoleon, thereby leaving the former Emperor in Paris. Alone and penniless, Napoleon wanders through Paris unrecognized, trying to forge a new life as a commoner. Subsequently, he meets and falls for a beautiful widow.