Footsteps and Echoes

In Chapter 6 of Book the Second, one word was mentioned several times that snapped my attention. Lucie Manette, Monseniour Manette, Charles Darnay, Sydney Carton, and Jarvis Lorry are all at the Manette's house and they kept talking about these echoes that they heard in the streets. The reason I am curious about this is because they kept mentioning how these unknown footsteps were echoing and drawing closer to the house:

“‘There is a great crowd coming into our lives, if that be so,’ Sydney Carton struck in his moody way.

The footsteps were incessant, and the hurry of them became more and more rapid. The corner echoed and re-echoed with the tread of feet; some, as it seemed, under the windows; some, as It seemed, in the room; some coming, some going, some breaking off, some stopping altogether; all in the distant streets, and not one within sight ….

‘Are all these footsteps destined to come to all of us, Miss Manette, or are we to divide them among us?’

‘I don’t know, Mr. Darnay; I told you it was a foolish fancy, but you asked for it. When I have yielded myself to it, I have been alone, and then I have imagined them the footsteps of the people who are to come into my life, and my fathers.”

‘I take them into mine!’ said Carton. ‘I ask no questions and make no stipulations. There is a great crowd bearing down upon us, Miss Manette, and I see them! – by the Lightening.’ He added…And I hear them!’ he [Carton] added again, after a peal of thunder. ‘Here they come, fast, fierce, and furious!’” (107).

            This passage definitely has the foreshadowing element within it. I was still confused whether or not these echoing footsteps were being metaphorically spoken, or if there were actually many footsteps coming towards the Manette household. If they are metaphorically spoken, I think that it is foreshadow for many new characters coming into each person’s life. Each person is uncertain about their fate with the new footsteps hurrying into their life. Darnay seems to be puzzled about the footsteps, Miss Manette has experience with letting new people walk into her life by accepting her dad, Darnay, and Carton, so she is a little worn, and Carton is strongly for letting these footsteps come into his life because his life doesn’t seem like it could get worse.

There are several things that the characters said that confused me. I didn’t understand what Carton was saying about the “Lightening” and why was it capitalized? Carton also said this, “...added again, after a peal of thunder.” Why is Carton using storm words? Why do they have anything to do with the footsteps and echoes? I’m skeptical of Carton because earlier in the passage is states that there was no one in sight, yet he said that he can see them…? Weird.

I’m excited to keep reading on to find whether or not these footsteps are really walking into the characters life, and if I was right on my foreshadowing prediction.