"however, i have an idea at last. i know a small boy who owns some lead soldiers. i propose to borrow one of these—a corporal or perhaps a sergeant—and boil him down, and then fill up the hole in the shilling with lead. shillings, you know, are not solid silver; oh no, they have alloy in them. this one will have a little more than usual perhaps. one cannot tie oneself down to an ounce or two."

"however, i had to give him one without a hole before he would let me out of his shop."

in this sentence, taken from the start of the seventh paragraph, what does the transition word "however" mean?

a) "of course"

b) "through it all"

c) "on the other hand"

d) "but in spite of my best efforts"