Les moeurs plus douces. — Gentler, quieter ways

13. Comment aimer en effet. — In fact how can we love. For this use of the infinitive after comment, 6ee Grammar, p. 339, § 4.

14. Qui nous dressent des embûches. — Who lay snares for us. Dresser des embûches is, literally, to lay an ambush, to set a trap.

15. Auxquels. — From whom. To es cape from is échapper h, hence the use of a in the compound word auxquels.

16. On la détruit à milliers. — People destroy them by thousands, or they are destroyed by thousands. La hère, as in the two preceding clauses, refers to souris, taken in a gênerai sensé and meaning the whole species of mice ; hence it is singular. In English the plural seems préférable in this particular clause.

17. Ils ont l'air vif. — They look lively or bright. For this idiomatic use of avoir, see Grammar, p. 52.

18. // y en a de blanches sur tout le corps. — There are some of them white ail over their body. For this use of de, see Grammar, p. 228.