Bennet had very little power, she played with the power of emotions to gain more power in decisions that were mostly dominated by men. Mrs. Bennet's tantrums and hysteria are manifested when Lydia runs away with Wickham and she stays at Longbourn while her husband searches for Lydia. Bennet in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice states: "And now here is Mr. Bennet gone, and I know he will fight Wickham wherever he meets him, and then he will be killed, and what must become of us all?" The Collins will drive us out before he's cold in his grave; and if you're not nice to us, brother, I don't know what we'll do' '(213). Mrs. Bennet continues her crying and wailing until her brother arrives and she explains that she fears Mr. Bennet will be killed and they will lose their home. Mrs. Bennet understands the situation, but she tries to gain power by trying to convince Mr. Gardner to protect them financially if something happens to Mr. Bennet, meaning that she and her daughters will be economically prepared for the future. Another example of Mrs. Bennet's emotion being tested is when Mrs. Bennet's mood changes from depressed to jovial due to Lydia's marriage to Wickham and their marriage. "Mrs. Bennet's joy when news of the impending marriage arrives is not tempered by any reservations regarding Lydia's immoral behavior in recent years.