"It was my fault," he groaned, "it was all my fault."
"Not a word of that, doctor, please. It was not in your hands or in mine. The Lost River is lost, not by any man's fault, but by the will of God. Now, tell me, what do I need?"
"Nothing, nothing at all but rest and sleep. Rest; for a week," said the doctor.
"Well, then," said Shock, "I want you to come and look after me for a week. I need you; you need me; we'll help each other."
"Oh, God! Oh, God!" groaned the doctor, "what is the use? You know there is no use."
"Doctor, I told you before that you are saying what is both false and foolish."
"I remember," said the doctor bitterly. "You spoke of common sense and honesty."
"Yes, and I say so again," replied Shock. "Common sense and honesty is what you need. Listen—I am not going to preach, I am done with that for to-night—but you know as well as I do that when a man faces the right way God is ready to back him up. It is common sense to bank on that, isn't it? Common sense, and nothing else. But I want to say this, you've got to be honest with God. You've not been fair. You say you've prayed—"
"God knows I have," said the doctor.
"Yes," said Shock, with a touch of scorn in his voice, "you've prayed, and then you went into the same old places and with the same old companions, and so you find yourself where you are to-night. You cannot cure any man of disease if he breaks every regulation you make when your back is turned. Give God a chance, that's all I ask. Be decently square with Him. There's lots of mystery in religion, but it is not there. Come along now, you are going home with me."