Sentence:  At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to <WSD>fear</WSD>—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (feel fear about (something)) To feel fear about (something or someone); to be afraid of; to consider or expect with alarm.