It wasn't meant to be like this. The day when the votes were counted should have been a happy, glorious occasion for the future First Minister of Northern Ireland. He should have been swamped by supporters and carried shoulder-high through the streets on the most important day of his political career.
But there was no one there to celebrate with David Trimble yesterday and for part of the day anyway, there wasn't much to celebrate. It wasn't a disaster but it wasn't a great success, either. If anyone had brought champagne, they didn't bother opening it.
The rain poured down from darkened skies in Banbridge, Co Down, as the count for Mr Trimble's Upper Bann constituency began. He arrived in presidential style, a scrum of photographers surrounding him. He was making upbeat noises but it all seemed a little forced.
And then he made a surprising statement. He suggested that Brid Rodgers of the SDLP and not himself might top the poll. The media were stunned. The UUP leader disappeared into the count centre but the agenda had been set - Trimble was in trouble.
The big picture didn't seem good, either. The Irish Times/RTE exit poll showed the SDLP ahead of the UUP. John Hume would then be the natural choice as First Minister. SDLP sources thought he would graciously refuse and support Mr Trimble in the interests of the greater good, but that would be humiliating for the UUP leader.
"I never thought I'd feel sorry for David Trimble but I do," said an SDLP worker in Banbridge. "He put himself on the line and now he is hanging from it." For most of the morning, Mr Trimble stayed in the safety of the count centre from which journalists were barred.
But the faces of his aides were heavy as the news drifted in. This was the DUP's day.
The Rev Ian Paisley had topped the poll in North Antrim, his son, Ian jnr, wasn't far behind, and three DUP members looked set to be elected in the constituency. The UUP deputy leader, Mr John Taylor, was beaten into second place in Strangford by the DUP's Mrs Iris Robinson.
Mrs Robinson's husband, Peter, was pleased with his party's performance in East Belfast. The UUP was trailing badly in East Derry. In East Antrim, four of the five leading candidates were anti-Agreement. When Mr Trimble ventured out for a breath of fresh air, a DUP supporter shouted: "Tony Blair's just thrown himself in the River Bann, why not do the same, David?"
Mr Trimble and his aides made their way to the building allocated for refreshments and media interviews but he refused to talk to the press. "It's not over until the fat lady sings," was all he would say. "You mean fat woman," a member of the Women's Coalition said in reprimand.
But a feminist rebuke was the least of Mr Trimble's worries.
A crowd of militant loyalists touched raw nerves. "Judas! Lundy! Traitor!" they screamed. "Bill Clinton or Bono can't save you now," one man shouted. "What do MI5 have on you?", yelled another.
Mr Trimble looked uncomfortable but tried hard not to show it. He's learning to live with abuse these days. He mumbled to an aide about "an awful big ball and chain" weighing down the pro-Agreement unionists in the Assembly. If he meant one politician in particular, it wasn't difficult to guess who.
Mr Trimble returned to the count centre and only emerged later when he had been safely elected on the first count. The idea that he wouldn't top the poll had only been a clever PR trick to make his performance seem better than it was, his opponents claimed.
The word was that although the UUP vote had fallen, the party would be boosted by transfers. Mr Trimble told the press he believed the UUP would be the largest political group in the Assembly. "It's been a roller-coaster of a day," he admitted, the beads of sweat falling from his forehead. "Nothing is ever quite as good or as bad as first reports suggest." And the future First Minister of Northern Ireland at last managed a smile.