Suspense and Foreshadowing

I was gratified last week to hear that, for the most part, you all were enjoying David Copperfield (I've found that when I teach his novels that, as long as students can get past the archaic language and the sheer size of his novels, that they generally enjoy them). Let's try to notice how he uses foreshadowing to create suspense. We talked last week about how the "black eyes" of Murdstone hint that Clara's new boyfriend is not good news and the plot reveals this to be true. Did you notice moments in the novel since that hint toward some future story?

Look at Jack Maldon's going-away party again (Ch. XVI). Something mysterious is going on, but we don't know yet what that something is. What is the relationship between Maldon and his cousin? Why does she faint when he leaves to go to India? What is significant about Maldon's agitated face and the cherry-colored thing in his hand? (254) Or the ribbon that his cousin, the Doctor's wife, was wearing at her bosom? We don't know yet--unless we've read ahead--but what do we think these clues mean? I think we all assume that they mean something--they're too mysterious not to mean something (David even goes back and notes the doctor and his wife sitting by the fire--there's an illustration of this (255)). But what?

What do moments do like this for readers? How do you read moments like this and process them and think ahead in the plot to wonder what will happen? What other moments of suspense have you noticed? (i.e. What kind of character is Uriah Heep? What is the significance of Mr. Wickfield's drinking? )

This can be done in short stories too. Can you think of ways to create suspense in your own fiction? What kinds of hints can you give early on that will make your readers want to read the next three or five pages?