However, she soon recovered her equanimity: he certainly never lost his.
"How d'e do, darling?
How you are grown! and how well you look! How's your father?
I hadn't anything particular to do, so I thought I'd come home and see you all, and get some fishing." And Mary, who had longed to throw her arms round his neck, as of old, and was restrained by the thought that she was grown a great girl now, called in her father, and all the household; and after a while the old Doctor came home, and the fatted calf was killed, and all made merry over the return of this altogether unrepentant prodigal son, who, whether from affectation, or from that blunted sensibility which often comes by continual change and wandering, took all their affection and delight with the most provoking coolness.
Nevertheless, though his feelings were not "demonstrative," as fine ladies say now-a-days, he evidently had some left in some corner of his heart; for after the fatted calf was eaten, and they were all settled in the Doctor's study, it came out that his carpet-bag contained little but presents, and those valuable ones--rare minerals from the Ural for his father; a pair of Circassian pistols for Mark; and for little Mary, to her astonishment, a Russian malachite bracelet, at which Mary's eyes opened wide, and old Mark said-- "Pretty fellow you are, to go fooling your money away like that.

What did that gimcrack cost, pray, sir ?" "That is no concern of yours, sir, or mine either; for I didn't pay for it." "Oh!" said Mary, doubtingly.
"No, Mary.

I killed a giant, who was carrying off a beautiful princess; and this, you see, he wore as a ring on one of his fingers: so I thought it would just suit your wrist." "Oh, Tom--Mr.Thurnall--what nonsense!" "Come, come," said his father: "instead of telling us these sort of stories, you ought to give an account of yourself, as you seem quite to forget that we have not heard from you for more than two years." "Whew! I wrote," said Tom, "whenever I could.

However, you can have all my letters in one now." So they sat round the fire, and Tom gave an account of himself; while his father marked with pride that the young man had grown and strengthened in body and in mind; and that under that nonchalant, almost cynical outside, the heart still beat honest and kindly.
For before Tom began, he would needs draw his chair closer to his father's, and half-whispered to him,-- "This is very jolly.

I can't be sentimental, you know.