Talks at Stormont aimed at resolving differences over cross-Border bodies were reported to be at an intense, difficult and delicate stage last night.
The day started with optimism but this ebbed considerably as time went on. Unionists complained that the Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, ended a meeting with the First Minister, Mr David Trimble, and Mr John Taylor after only five minutes.
SDLP sources conceded that the meeting had "not been a long one" but complained that the Ulster Unionists had done an about-face on the relationship between cross-Border bodies and government ministries.
Early hopes that a deal on cross-Border bodies and the number of ministries could be concluded by the end of this week, possibly as early as tomorrow, began to look somewhat less realistic as details of the negotiations between the two main parties emerged.
An initial meeting between the two parties at around noon was said to have been positive.
The internal party difficulties of Mr Robert McCartney boosted UUP morale and increased the party's appetite for a deal with the SDLP. In the early afternoon the talks seemed set fair for a package comprising six fairly substantial cross-Border bodies and 10 ministries.
Ironically, the UUP was pleased that the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, had taken a more active role in this week's talks. They said the Northern Secretary, Dr Mowlam, had been responsible for diverting Mr Hume away from the previous round of talks.
While unionists much preferred dealing with Mr Mallon in the pre-Good Friday talks, they now profess to find Mr Hume more "malleable". It is understood Mr Hume and Mr Trimble took their visit to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize as an opportunity to discuss some of the difficulties between their two parties.
There was speculation that the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, and possibly also the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, would go to Stormont early next week to give their blessing to the pact.
In Bonn the Taoiseach expressed the hope that progress could be made within the next 24 hours. "I hope we can conclude it over the next day or two. Otherwise we drift into the New Year and I don't even want to think about that," he said.
However, at Stormont morale on both sides took a tumble in the afternoon. Mr Trimble and Mr Taylor attended a meeting with Mr Mallon at 3 p.m. but, according to UUP sources, they were slightly taken aback when the Deputy First Minister brought the discussions to a close after five minutes.
"He said that we must talk to the governments, he wasn't going to negotiate with us, and he walked out."
Both UUP and SDLP sources accused the other party of trying to drag out the negotiations. Talks resume today but Mr Trimble and Mr Taylor are due to travel to London for a potentially important meeting of their parliamentary party.
SDLP sources were somewhat dispirited by UUP support for Mr Robert McCartney's motion in the Assembly, which seeks to disbar paramilitary-linked parties from an executive.
This signified a hardening of the UUP position, because the motion implicitly ruled out the possibility that partial or token IRA decommissioning would be sufficient to allow Sinn Fein participation in cabinet.
SDLP sources also claimed the UUP had done an about-turn on North-South bodies and ministries.
Previously, the UUP had insisted the bodies could not be agreed until the ministries had been settled, but now the party was taking the opposite stance.