Sipping sparkling water by the bustling patios of Bryant Park on Wednesday afternoon, the young women touched on the usual topics of lunchtime gossip: men, work, relationships.

Then the discussion turned, as it did in conversations all across New York City on Wednesday, to Anthony D. Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin.

As her companions nodded, Noebeth Toro, 30, said she could understand how Ms. Abedin chose to stand by her husband in 2011 when he was first discovered sending explicit messages to women online. But she was puzzled to see her beside Mr. Weiner once again on Tuesday, defending him despite new revelations of more recent online encounters.

“Fool me once, shame on you,” Ms. Toro said. “Fool me twice, shame on me.”

Her colleague, Jessica Marrocco, 26, suspected another motive.