Sentence:  At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not <WSD>eat</WSD> parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they <WSD>eat</WSD> the luncheon crumbs. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To consume (something solid or semi-solid, usually food) by putting it into the mouth and swallowing it.