Finding this would support him he held out his hand.
"Now.

As lightly as you can!" The girl came down, struck the stone with her foot, and slipped, but Festing had time to clutch her first.

He could not hold her back, but he could steady her, and for a moment felt his muscles crack and the peat tear out from the hole in the bank.

Then his hands slipped and he fell, gasping and red in face, upon the shelf beside the girl.
"Thank you; you did that rather well," she said.

"It looks as if I were heavier than you thought." While he had been occupied Festing imagined he had heard a splash, and now looking down saw Helen standing on a boulder in the stream.