How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Page)
Quote #10
Slavery was dead and gone; all men were equal before the law; taxation had been equalized. (40.1)
This pretty much marks the start of the big downward slope that turns the book from a comedy to a tragedy. Hank gets so close to achieving real justice before the ending washes it all away, and Twain wants us to know how close that "close" really is. It makes the ending sting that much more.