The events left the Republican presidential race mired in claims and counterclaims brought about by the sexual harassment allegations, with Mr. Cain blaming Mr. Perry, whose campaign in turn raised the possibility that Mitt Romney’s campaign could be behind the disclosure of the allegations. A spokeswoman for Mr. Romney replied simply, “Not true.”

While Mr. Cain’s accusations briefly turned the attention away from him, interviews with more than a dozen people over the last three days paint a picture of his 1996-99 tenure at the National Restaurant Association that is at odds with his insistence that he never harassed anyone. Several people who worked at the association said they knew of episodes that women said had made them uncomfortable dealing with Mr. Cain.

One of the two women whose accusations of sexual harassment led to a paid severance agreement has decided against speaking publicly about her side of the story, her lawyer said Wednesday. The lawyer, Joel P. Bennett, said he would instead ask the restaurant association on Thursday to allow him to release a statement on his client’s behalf that would make it clear, without violating a confidentiality agreement she signed, that her version of events is different from the account that Mr. Cain has offered.

Mr. Bennett said the statement would not go into minute details of her experience with Mr. Cain. “It’s unpleasant and it’s sensational and she does not want to do that,” he said in an interview. He added, “She has a life to live and a career, and she doesn’t want to become another Anita Hill.”

Chris Wilson, who worked as a pollster at the association, recalled in an interview that an incident involving a woman at a suburban Washington restaurant had made several observers uncomfortable. He would not say what Mr. Cain said to the woman or whether she responded at the time. He did not provide any other details.