In "The Lady with the Pet Dog," what is the significance of the description in the scene where Gurov has gone to S- -?

The section where Gurov goes to visit Anna Sergeyevna comes in
the third part of this excellent short story. One of the interesting descriptions that we are
given is of the hotel room in which he stays:

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He arrives at S. in the morning and engaged the best
suite in the hotel, which had a carpet of grey military frieze and a dusty ink-pot on the table,
surmounted by a headless rider, holding his hat in his raised
hand.

It appears that the headless
rider could be symbolic of the impulsive way in which Gurov has "lost his head" and acted
impulsively, against his rational side that wanted the relationship with Anna Sergeyevna to be
over and was glad when she left. Note the way that his intellect or capacity for reason is
overwhelmed by his heart when he goes to the theatre and sees Anna Sergeyevna
again:

Anna Sergeyevna
came in, too. She seated herself in the third row of the stalls, and when Gurov's glance fell on
her, his heart seemed to stop, and he knew in a flash that hte whole world contianed no one
nearer or dearer to him, no one more important to his
happiness.

Although Anna Sergeyevna is
described as "little" and "in no way remarkable," Gurov's emotions are overwhelmed and he
realises that she "filled his whole life, was his grief, his joy, all that he desired." Perhaps
the symbol of the headless horseman thus captures the way in which Gurov as a character has "lost
his head."