escape/ avoid/ evade/ elude

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me a few explanatory words concerning the usage of the verbs in bold in the following sentences?

Few boys had more narrowly escaped being expelled from school. (J. Galsworthy, “In Chancery”)

This might be applauded, since we generally admire those who can escape taxes. (J. Steinbeck, “Travels with Charley in Search of America”)

Perhaps he had gone, fled already to France to avoid this dreadful torture. (F. Harris, “Oscar Wilde”)

Heavy drops fell on her frills, and to avoid them she crossed over…. (J. Galsworthy, “To Let”)

Holding his hands over his eyes, he circled the table like one trying to evade the smoke from a bonfire… (K. Amiss, “Lucky Jim”)

God, the dope a man can feed himself to evade the simplest responsibility. (M. Wilson, “Live with Lightning”)

When Winifred came down, and realized that he was not in the house, her first feeling was one of dull anger that she should thus elude the reproaches she had carefully prepared in those long wakeful hours. (J. Galsworthy, In Chancery”)

In that posture his destiny…could hardly be eluded. (K. Amiss, “Lucky Jim”)

V.