Sentence:  They were pleased because he was not above drinking a cup of tea with them, and when the dawn came and they were still waiting they offered him a slice of bread and <WSD>dripping</WSD>; he was not squeamish and could eat most things now with a good appetite. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Solid animal fat, traditionally collected from "dripping" off roasting meat.