CASTLE Buildings, Stormont, on Monday presented an environment of confusion and chaos. Many of the parties whose co-operation is vital for a settlement seemed to be retreating to the trenches.
But even in the space of 24 hours matters can change slightly for the better.
It hardly seemed likely on Monday when Mr Gerry Adams led a Sinn Fein delegation up to the gates of Castle Buildings and was refused entry. He was not allowed inside to "speak for peace", he complained. "That'll look well on CNN," one reporter remarked.
Mr David Trimble and the Rev Ian Paisley said they would not be at Castle Buildings because Mr Spring was there, while protesting that they had not been properly invited to the proximity process in the first place.
If the unionist parties wouldn't go to Castle Buildings then the SDLP wouldn't talk to the unionists anywhere else but at Castle Buildings, offered Mr Seamus Mallon of the SDLP.
Mr Spring emerged looking exhausted after over four hours with Sir Patrick Mayhew. His mood was not improved by a minor altercation with a television reporter who wanted to know what business he had at Stormont dealing with issues, the reporter suggested, internal to Northern Ireland.
And all about the world's reporters were speaking to television cameras using words like "farce", "circus", "chaos", and from the more up market, "debacle".
Then Sir Patrick strode forth, incongruously jaunty and cheerful Crisis? "What Crisis" was the tone. But wasn't the start of the consultation process rather inauspicious, he was asked.
Not at all. "In long years of experience I think it is an entirely predictable start. We have had quite inauspicious starts before and we have come through to quite good things," he said. "I think there are sensible grounds to be hopeful," he added.
It seemed a bizarre form of optimism, yet the preparatory talks or "intensive multilateral consultations" are taking place within the terms of the Anglo Irish communique. While Monday was a bad day there was plenty of intensive talking yesterday with more planned for today and the rest of the week.
The communique states these talks can take place in "whatever configuration" is acceptable to the parties. For the unionists that rules out Castle Buildings while Mr Spring is present.
But today at least the DUP and UUP leaders, Mr Paisley, and Mr David Trimble, are meeting Sir Patrick in London. Between yesterday and today every party (except Sinn Fein and the small Northern Ireland Conservative Party) will meet some other party or parties, either at Castle Buildings or some other venue in London or Belfast.
At this stage there is no sense of any great harmonisation of views between groupings such as the SDLP, the two main unionists parties, Alliance, PUP, UDP, Democratic Left, and the Workers' Party. But as spokesmen for the two governments stated "At least they are talking."
Furthermore, at last, there appears to be some thawing in the relationship between Mr Trimble and the Government, with a meeting likely soon. Even Mr Paisley is prepared to meet the Government to talk about North South issues.
So, there is some momentum. But in terms of the potential for further violence, Sinn Fein, the party with influence over the IRA, is still out in the cold.
Dublin has indicated it hopes to meet Sinn Fein officially.
The British government said it would consider any requests from Sinn Fein for an encounter at civil servant level.
Sinn Fein, irrespective of publicity gestures, won't be allowed into the process proper until the IRA declares a ceasefire. Despite all the talking we are no wiser about whether that day is any closer.
As one Dublin source said of the overall process. There is movement but where to, we don't know yet.
On Monday, Mr Paisley was in the Stormont precinct but in no way proximate to the talks venue, telling reporters he wasn't afraid of Dick Spring's "moustache".
