Those of US who have watched the ups and downs of the peace process from the beginning know better than to be plunged into gloom by short-term setbacks. But there is no denying that yesterday was very difficult for all concerned and that more heat than light was generated all round.
Sinn Fein is playing the hardest of hardball. For years the republicans have been saying there would be no decommissioning as the price of admission to government, but many refused to believe them. After yesterday there can be little doubt in anyone's mind.
Part of the reason for Sinn Fein's forthright, open and formal rejection of the Hillsborough Declaration yesterday, according to republican sources, was annoyance with the "spin" coming from Dublin that the "Shinners" didn't really mean it, they would come round.
Even on arrival at Castle Buildings in the afternoon, after a bumpy helicopter ride, the Minister for Foreign Affairs was still under the illusion that Sinn Fein had not formally rejected the Holy Thursday draft. The news media quickly put him right: the Sinn Fein statement of rejection had been circulated three hours earlier.
It was an unfortunate start to the reappearance of Mr Andrews as a high-profile participant in the process. The Department of the Taoiseach has been the driving force on the Irish side for some time now and Iveagh House has had to take a back seat even though it could claim to have been "in on the ground floor".
But some observers believe Merrion Street does not have the same understanding of republican psychology when it comes to the weapons issue. Given the republican background of his own family, Mr Andrews just might have a better understanding of where Sinn Fein is coming from, although the sceptics remain to be convinced.
Mr Trimble was leaving for London yesterday afternoon. His parliamentary party holds its regular meeting at Westminster this evening, and the First Minister is also expected to visit Downing Street today to meet senior officials. Mr John Taylor was absent from Stormont yesterday, and the unionist case was put to the media by Sir Reg Empey.
The Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, was called away from Stormont for family reasons but is expected back today.
The Taoiseach is expected to discuss the impasse with Mr Blair in the margins of today's meeting in Brussels to ratify the new President of the European Commission, Mr Romano Prodi.
The Progressive Unionist Party, political wing of the UVF, has also rejected the Hillsborough Declaration. It all adds up to a pretty fine mess which will only be cleared up with the greatest difficulty.
A senior mainstream nationalist cautioned against despair. With a sweep of the hand he described a downward motion in the air, followed by a long, slow curve upward. A Bad Hair Day, not Armageddon.
There is speculation that the talks will continue into next week and could go on for several weeks, although this seems unlikely in the current "auto-pilot" atmosphere.
It was like old times yesterday, with meetings once again at the aesthetic nightmare of Castle Buildings, a bitter wind in the air and snow on the nearby hills.
There was also that familiar sense that what looked important was only a cover for the real action which, according to some sources, centres on the issue of demilitarisation and how far London is prepared to go in that direction to get the republican movement back on board. The legendary "securocrats" on the British side were mounting a fierce rearguard action, senior sources said.
For some time now in private briefings, leading republicans have been saying that they made it look too easy when they overcame internal problems over such issues as the redrafting of Articles 2 and 3 and entering a Stormont Assembly. At the same time, Mr Trimble's difficulties - which have been constantly belittled by republicans - were the focus of everyone's attention. Save the Peace, Save David Trimble was the cry of the hour.
Now Sinn Fein has decided to put its own difficulties over decommissioning centre-stage. Can't disarm, won't disarm is the slogan. You have taken us for granted, they are saying, but now it's No More Mister Nice Guy.
The hero of George Mitchell's book on the peace process was the Taoiseach because he had the wisdom and foresight to reach out to the unionists at a critical point and the skill to keep Sinn Fein inside the tent at the same time. Now it seems to be down to Bertie Ahern to "work his magic" once more, but it is Sinn Fein which needs to be brought in from the cold, possibly with the help of Mr John Hume.
It's a tall order, asking someone to be a hero for a second time, but Northern Ireland does that to people.